Donate Children’s Shoes: Free Doorstep Collection
Children grow out of shoes long before they wear them out. Book a free collection and we’ll pick up outgrown trainers, school shoes, sandals and wellies from your doorstep, from first shoes to teen sizes. You don’t need to be in, and you choose the charity your donation supports. It’s part of our free doorstep shoe collection.
- Free
- First shoes to teen sizes
- No need to be in
- You choose the charity
Why they matter
Outgrown shoes still have plenty of wear left
Children’s feet are always growing. A pair of trainers can fit in September and pinch by spring. That leaves most families with a pile of shoes that have hardly been worn, and another child who could wear them tomorrow.
Barely worn
Many outgrown shoes have only had a few months of use. The soles are still good and the straps still fasten.
Always needed
Families have to buy new shoes every time feet grow. A good second-hand pair at a fraction of the price of new makes a real difference to a tight budget.
Out of the hallway
Too-small wellies by the back door, sandals at the bottom of the wardrobe. One collection clears the lot.
No trip to make
Between work, school runs and everything else, few parents have time to drive anywhere with a bag of shoes. We come to you instead.
There are no fees, a large percentage of the proceeds goes to the charity you choose, and each pair worn again is one less pair thrown away.
What to give
What children’s shoes can I donate?
The simple test: if they’re in a pair, clean, dry and another child could wear them tomorrow, we’ll take them. They don’t need to look new. A few scuffs are fine, and so are last season’s styles, as long as the shoes are still wearable.
- Trainers and canvas shoes
- Plain school shoes
- Sandals and summer shoes
- Wellies, once the mud has been cleaned off
- Boots for winter and walking boots
- Party shoes and smart shoes
- Slippers in good condition
- Baby and toddler shoes, including first shoes
Keep pairs together
Tie the laces together, fasten the straps to each other, or put each pair in its own small bag, so they reach the sorting table as a pair.
The rest of the clear-out
Outgrown clothes, toys and books can go in the same collection. See what we collect for the full list.
Please leave out
A few shoes we can’t take
Worn through or broken
Children are hard on shoes. Soles worn through or coming away, split uppers and broken fastenings mean the pair can’t be worn again.
Instead: check what your local recycling centre accepts.
Wet or muddy
Damp or muddy shoes, especially wellies straight from the park, spoil everything packed with them.
Instead: rinse or brush them off, let them dry completely, then pack them.
Odd shoes
A single shoe can’t be worn on its own, so it can’t be passed on.
Instead: have a hunt under beds and in the car for the missing one, then send them in together.
The full list for every kind of footwear is on what shoes can I donate?
Bagging up
How to donate outgrown shoes, step by step
Book online
Enter your postcode, pick a collection date and choose the charity you’d like to support. It’s free. If dates near you are full, you can join the waiting list for the next one.
Sort by the simple test
In a pair, clean, dry and wearable goes in the bag. Knock off any mud and let wellies dry out first.
Pair them up and pack
Tie or fasten each pair together, then put them in strong bags or boxes a driver can lift. Tie each bag closed.
Leave them out by 7am
On the doorstep, in the porch, or wherever you told us when you booked. You don’t need to be at home. The evening before, we email you an estimated arrival window and a link to follow the driver on the day.
Everything else about booking and the day itself is on how do I donate my shoes?
Afterwards
Where do children’s shoes go?
Back to our warehouse, where every bag is opened and sorted by hand. We pass on the pairs that can be worn again, so most outgrown shoes go on to another child rather than into the bin.
Wearing shoes again also saves making new ones. By our own estimate, each kilo of footwear reused instead of made new saves about 3 kg of CO2e and 2,500 litres of water. Try the green calculator to see what your clear-out could save.
Follow the journey on what happens to my shoes? and meet the people at the end of it on who do my shoes help?
Every collection also raises money for the charity you chose when you booked: Action for Children, Together for Short Lives, Advance or the RSPCA, or tree planting with Ecologi.
Areas we cover
Where we collect children’s shoes
We collect from homes across most of England and South Wales. Most areas have a collection every week or every fortnight. Enter your postcode when you book to see your next dates, or find your county on areas we cover.
Many councils also work with us. You can read how those partnerships work on council partnerships.
Questions
Questions parents ask
Do I need to be at home?
No. Leave your bags out by 7am where you told us when you booked, and the driver collects them while you get on with your day.
Do the shoes need to be cleaned first?
Please send them clean and completely dry. Brush off mud and give wellies a rinse, then leave them to dry. Shoes are packed closely together, so one wet or muddy pair can spoil a whole bag.
Are slightly worn shoes all right?
Yes. A few scuffs or an older style are fine, as long as the pair is still wearable. Shoes with soles worn through, split uppers or broken fastenings can’t be passed on.
Can I donate school shoes?
Yes. Plain school shoes are welcome, and they are some of the most useful pairs we collect.
Does it matter what size the shoes are?
No. Baby shoes, toddler sizes and teen sizes are all welcome, and you can mix sizes in one bag, as long as each pair is kept together.
Can I give the whole family’s shoes at the same time?
Yes. One booking covers the whole household’s clear-out, adults’ shoes and boots included. If you have more than 20 bags or boxes, tell us when you book so we can make sure the van has room.
Can I book a collection for tomorrow?
If we are collecting near you tomorrow, yes. Tomorrow’s collections stay open until 4pm today. Enter your postcode on the booking page to see your dates.
More answers are on our frequently asked questions page.
Ready to donate your shoes?
It’s free, you don’t need to be at home, and you choose the charity your donation supports.