Sports Singapore Giving Used Running Shoes a New Life By Converting Them Into Running Tracks

For too long, I’ve been an unforgiving master to my running shoes. Sprinting in them day and night, I’ve effectively tortured them. Traumatised them.

Yet, it wasn’t until the shoes have broken without repair that I realised what I had done.

“I’m so sorry…” I whispered to my dying shoes as they struggled to take their last breath. “I’m so sorry for using you that way, just to fulfil my needs…”

“It’s alright…” They coughed. “As long as you enjoyed it, we don’t mind…”

They spluttered. I cried.

“Shoes, oh shoes!” I burst into tears. “I’m so, so sorry…”

As the shoes rasped desperately, a shoelace hovered over and wiped a tear off my cheek.

“Let me… see your smile…” The shoes gave a weak attempt at a grin. “Before I go, alright?”

Sobbing furiously, I granted them their last request.

“Is this wide enough…?” I uttered in between tears.

“Yep… wide… enough…” the shoes murmured, before they took their last breath and went to wherever shoes go after death.

I couldn’t take it anymore; all my years of using it against its will, forcing it to satisfy my carnal pleasures. “NOOOOOOOOOOOO-”

“Mister, I’m so sorry to hear of your loss.”

I looked up; it was a dude with a T-Shirt that read “myActiveSG; better than your mum and my dad combined!”

“It’s alright,” I mumbled. “It’s all my fault. I should’ve never treated it that way.”

Patting me on my shoulder, the dude stared at the shoes sympathetically.

“Mister, would you kindly give me the shoes?”

I stared at him. “I’ve Hong Kong feet.”

He smiled. “I’m not gonna smell it. Instead…”

“I’m gonna give it a new life.”

I looked at him. He looked at me.

A Second Life

The introductory paragraph might be largely exaggeratory, but the main gist is there;

Sport Singapore, also known as myActiveSG, wants to give your used shoes a new life.

From now till 31 May 2019, the organisation will be accepting used shoes, in a movement that will see them recycled into material for running tracks at Kallang Football Hub and other sports centres.

And in addition to old sports shoes, football boots without metal studs and school shoes are accepted too.

Where do I donate my lovely shoes?

According to the Facebook post, the list of collection points is as follows:

ActiveSG Sport Centres

• Heartbeat @ Bedok
• Toa Payoh Sport Centre
• Jurong West Sport Centre
• Sengkang Sport Centre
• Yio Chu Kang Sport Centre

ActiveSG Football Academy

• Bedok Stadium
• Bukit Gombak Stadium
• Jalan Besar Stadium
• Jurong East Stadium
• Out Tampines Hub
• Serangoon Stadium
• Woodlands Stadium

Decathlon Outlets

• Bedok
• City Square
• Joo Koon
• Singapore Lab

But should you be unable to locate these collection points, it might be beneficial to look for boxes like these at the Sengkang Sports Centre:

According to one of us who goes to Bukit Gombak Stadium regularly, the boxes were found on the seating area of the stadium.

And so… what’re you waiting for?

If you have a whole bevvy of used running shoes that you’re never gonna use again but are too unwilling to just throw them away, you know what to do.

Sport Singapore’s waiting for you.

Sport Singapore’s office: 3 Stadium Drive

Dow’s office: 260 Orchard Road, the Heeran, #18-00

And with that in mind, let’s give the shoes the second life they so deserve.

“I’ll miss them.”

Just kidding, I guess it’s time to pay a trip to New Balance this weekend 😉