WalkWell Shoes "Wears Out Poverty"

The right pair of shoes can cause stress, at least here in the US. Even those of us who aren’t slaves to fashion know the feeling of foot pain: blisters, squeezing your feet into a shoe too small. After collecting used shoes for the Soles4Souls charity at WalkWell Shoes for over 5 years, owner Peter Rooney and his daughter Kate travelled to Haiti to distribute shoes to children in need. Visiting Haiti was a helpful reminder that shoes are a privilege. The right pair, or any pair, can change a life.

Walk Well’s mission in Haiti this June was to help “wear out poverty” with a non-profit called Soles4Souls, which collects shoes to distribute in developing countries. The charity has been working in Haiti since the 2010 earthquake took more than 200,000 lives. Soles4Souls distributes shoes and clothing in countries from Tanzania to Guatemala, relying on volunteers to help hand them out in schools and orphanages.

Before the trip, Rooney’s store was only a part of the collection process. WalkWell Shoes on Springfield Avenue in Summit, NJ has been gathering shoes for five years and delivering them to a warehouse in northern New Jersey. The shoes find their way to a warehouse in Alabama, where they’re sorted; either ending up as recycled rubber for running tracks, or shipped out to areas in need.

There they visited two orphanages and five schools, where the kids were happy to see them and full of energy and curiosity. It was love at first sight! Rooney and his daughter distributed new shoes to most of the kids who were so grateful and appreciative. Afterwards, with the help of guides to translate from Creole, they heard the heartfelt thanks from the local pastor who left them with a sense of being blessed like never before.

All the shoes distributed by Soles4Souls are new and donated by the manufacturers. Used shoes are shipped around the globe to local partners who train locals to develop micro enterprises that can provide sustainable income. They loan the shoes and get repaid a few dollars for each pair to cover the cost of shipping, etc. Shoes end up selling in local markets for about $10.00. That is a good relative value down there for the consumers. The result may be a single woman who can buy a modest home or a couple who can open their first bank account.

To continue supporting Soles4Souls, drop off your used shoes at WalkWell Shoes in Summit.