What a Croc!

By: Ashley Thompson

We know, Crocs aren’t everyone’s favorite footwear, but there’s no denying that these love-’em-or-hate-’em shoes could come in quite handy (or footy, if you will) during your summertime boating or beaching adventures. And now there’s one big reason for doubters to overlook the shoes’ questionable appearance and fad fashion status: Crocs are becoming quite the eco-friendly pair.

SolesUnited is a Crocs recycling program that now exists across the country, in which participating shoe retailers accept old, worn-down Crocs. The shoes are then ground up, melted down, and remade into new shoes that are shipped to those in need around the world. SolesUnited’s website explains:

These recycled shoes are loaded into containers and are picked up at the warehouse by our shipping partners, who then send them to approved non-profit organizations around the world.

SolesUnited has set its 2008 donation goal at 2 million. You can find the nearest participating retailer here, or look into the program’s mail-in options if there are no stores near you (or if you’d like to remain as carbon neutral as possible and avoid driving).

And the company isn’t stopping there. This year, a line of SolesUnited recycled Crocs was unveiled to the U.S. public, coming in an all-khaki color and marked with a special “recycle” tag. And for each pair of recycled Crocs purchased, SolesUnited will donate a pair of shoes to its worldwide donation program.

So if you’re aiming to reduce your carbon footprint during your summer voyages, don’t overlook your feet.

Photo: Crocs displayed in a shop window in Parma, Italy, via Zé Eduardo on Flickr.