USA Kick It Forward · Nonprofit
Lace up. Level up.
Give every shoe a second life.
We collect, recycle, and redistribute gently used athletic shoes — cutting down on landfill waste, putting real sneakers on kids and families in our community, and donating funds raised to nonprofits supporting underserved youth in sports. Founded by student athletes in New York.
Our Mission
Two problems. One pair of shoes.
USA Kick It Forward sits at the intersection of environmental waste and community need. Millions of athletic shoes are thrown away every year even though most still have miles left in them — we close that gap.
Reduce & Reuse
We collect gently worn athletic shoes through drives, drop-off bins, and school and team partnerships — then recycle and redirect them, cutting down on landfill waste and the resources it takes to manufacture something new.
Reach Our Community
Wearable pairs go directly to families, youth athletes, and individuals in our local community at no cost — because a properly fitted pair of shoes shouldn’t be out of reach for anyone.
Why It Matters
The environmental case for keeping shoes in play
Footwear waste is a bigger environmental problem than most people realize. Here’s what the research says — sources linked below.
300M1
pairs of shoes Americans throw away every year
30–401
years a typical pair takes to decompose in a landfill
30 lbs2
of CO2 emitted to manufacture just one pair of running shoes
13%3
of clothing and footwear in the U.S. actually gets recycled
Sources
- Soles4Souls, “Can You Recycle Shoes? How to Do It Correctly & Alternatives,” soles4souls.org/how-to-recycle-shoes
- MIT News, “Footwear’s (carbon) footprint,” May 2013, news.mit.edu/2013/footwear-carbon-footprint-0522
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Textiles: Material-Specific Data,” epa.gov — Textiles: Material-Specific Data
Where The Support Goes
Funding underserved communities, on and off the court
As a nonprofit, USA Kick It Forward reinvests proceeds from shoe drives and community donations directly into underserved neighborhoods in the cities we call home.
Youth Athletic Programs
Donations cover training fees, equipment, and gear for young athletes in New York, Houston, and partner communities who’d otherwise be priced out of the game. Support goes directly to families and community programs.
- Tournament travel and registration fees, so cost never keeps a kid from playing the sport they love
- Properly fitted equipment, sneakers, and everyday practice gear
- Training support and facility costs for community programs
- Academic tutoring and mentorship programs at partner organizations
Why Athletics Builds Success Beyond Sports
The habits kids build playing a sport — discipline, resilience, working toward a goal — show up in the rest of their lives, too. This is part of why we invest in youth sports access:
- 97%1 of women in the C-suite played sports growing up
- +15%2 more likely for boys in team sports to graduate high school on time
- +1–2 pts3 rise in women’s workforce participation for every 10-point gain in girls’ sports access
- EY & espnW, “Making the Connection: Women, Sport and Leadership,” prnewswire.com
- Pagani et al., University of Montreal, youth sports & graduation study, via phillyvoice.com
- Betsey Stevenson, “Beyond the Classroom: Using Title IX to Measure the Return to High School Sports,” NBER Working Paper No. 15728, nber.org/papers/w15728
How Shoe Donations Work
From your closet to someone’s feet
Drop off your shoes
Bring gently used athletic shoes to a collection bin or partner location in New York or Houston.
We recycle & redirect
Wearable pairs are redirected to families and youth athletes in our community. Worn-out pairs are sent to recycling partners instead of the landfill.
Shoes — and support — reach the community
Usable pairs go straight to local families and youth athletes. Recycling proceeds help support local youth athletic programs.
Support The Mission
Your donation funds shoes, scholarships, and cleaner communities
Every dollar helps us collect more shoes, award more scholarships, and fund youth athletic and environmental programs in New York, Houston, and beyond. Give directly through PayPal or Venmo.
Give via PayPal
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Our Story
Started by student athletes, built for community
USA Kick It Forward was founded by student athletes in New York who saw the same problem all around them: closets full of outgrown, barely-worn athletic shoes on one side, and teammates and neighbors who couldn’t afford a decent pair on the other.
Born from a conversation between siblings in New York and now growing in Houston, our nonprofit has one goal — keep shoes in play, on and off the court, and out of landfills.
New York, NY
Where it started — collecting sneakers from local clubs and turning worn shoes into community impact.
Houston, TX
Where it grew — expanding the model to a second city, adding more partner schools, and deepening our social impact with more youth athletic programs.
Leadership
The people behind the mission
USA Kick It Forward is run by student athletes who turned a simple idea into a nonprofit.
Founders
Preston Wang
Co-Founder · New York, NY
Student squash player who helped turn informal shoe drives into a nonprofit — now focused on growing the New York hub.
Fun Facts
- Favorite subjects: Math & Latin
- Favorite food: Sushi
Thompson Wang
Co-Founder · New York, NY
Student squash player who helped turn informal shoe drives into a nonprofit — now focused on growing the New York hub.
Fun Facts
- Favorite subjects: Math & Science
- Favorite food: Korean BBQ
Estella Wang
Co-Founder · New York, NY
Student squash player who helped turn informal shoe drives into a nonprofit — now focused on growing the New York hub.
Fun Facts
- Favorite subjects: Art & STEM
- Favorite food: Vanilla mochi ice cream
Student Chapter Leads
Ariana Mendez
School Chapter Lead · New York, NY
Coordinates school shoe drives and outreach, helping grow Kick It Forward’s presence in the community.
Fun Facts
- Favorite subjects: Math & History
- Favorite food: Italian
Clara Lin
School Chapter Lead · New York, NY
Student hockey player who coordinates school shoe drives and outreach, helping grow Kick It Forward’s presence in the community.
Fun Facts
- Favorite subjects: Library & Math
- Favorite food: Sushi
Samuel Lin
School Chapter Lead · New York, NY
Student soccer player who coordinates school shoe drives and outreach, helping grow Kick It Forward’s presence in the community.
Fun Facts
- Favorite subjects: Physics & History
- Favorite food: Sushi
Conner Lee
School Chapter Lead · Houston, Texas
Student runner who helped launch Kick It Forward's earliest shoe drives in Houston — now focused on growing the Houston hub.
Fun Facts
- Favorite subjects: Math & Psychology
- Favorite food: Steak
Everett Lee
School Chapter Lead · Houston, Texas
Student golfer who helped launch Kick It Forward's earliest shoe drives in Houston — now focused on growing the Houston hub.
Fun Facts
- Favorite subjects: Math & Art
- Favorite food: Boba
Abigail Lee
School Chapter Lead · Houston, Texas
Student field hockey player who helped launch Kick It Forward's earliest shoe drives in Houston — now focused on growing the Houston hub.
Fun Facts
- Favorite subjects: Science & Art
- Favorite food: Fried rice
Good To Know
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of shoes do you accept?
Gently used or new athletic shoes of any kind — sneakers, running shoes, court shoes, cross-trainers, and cleats. Pairs in good enough condition for reuse are given directly to community youth programs; pairs too worn to reuse are recycled rather than thrown away.
How is my donation used?
Your shoe donations directly support our youth athletic programs, and the proceeds from recycling shoes fund training fees, gear, and travel costs for young athletes who’d otherwise be priced out of the game.
Can my school or team host a shoe drive?
Yes — we partner with schools, teams, and community organizations in New York, Houston, and beyond. Reach out at info@usakickitforward.org to get started.