Changing the World, and Growing your Business, One Shoe at a...

Uniform Market - December 2, 2008 0

Collecting shoes for those in need may not sound like a profitable business endeavor, but according to Wayne Elsey, founder and CEO of the Nashville-based Soles4Souls, it is a win-win for both the company and recipient. "Retailers can grow their revenues and drive new business into their stores while doing something good for those in desperate need," he says.

The Soles4Souls mission is simple – provide shoes to the world's neediest inhabitants. This straightforward approach has made it one of the most popular charities of our time, winning the praise of many in the entertainment and sports world, and the backing of corporate sponsors. "We do what we know; we get and give shoes," says Elsey.

Soles4Souls got its start in the wake of the Asian tsunami in December 2004. "As I watched the television coverage, I saw a shoe floating in the debris, and it bothered me," he recalls. "I just knew I had to do something." While many preferred writing a check, Elsey, a shoe industry veteran, was compelled to do more. He called a few colleagues and asked if they would partner with him to donate shoes to the relief effort. Together, the team sent over 25,000 pair of shoes to victims of the disaster. When Hurricane Katrina struck the gulf coast in 2005, the group responded again, but realized the need for shoes transcended any one catastrophe. Soles4Souls officially incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in February 2006.

To date, Soles4Souls has given away over 3 million pair of shoes, about one pair every 17 seconds. Over 96 percent of the donated footwear winds up on someone's feet. The remaining are recycled, used in playgrounds and arenas across the country. Shoes have been distributed in over 40 countries and across 5 continents, anywhere there is need. Some of the footwear has even wound up in the United States, in the country's most blighted neighborhoods.