Support Resources

In addition to seeking high quality branded athletic sneakers to recirculate in secondhand markets, GotSneakers accepts moderately and heavily used athletic sneakers that might not have any life remaining in them. Our published sneaker guidelines details the type of athletic footwear that is acceptable for both resale and end-of-life recycling. We have worked with a multitude of vendors to responsibly recycle end-of-life footwear on an as needed basis. We have tested programs such as grinding sneakers to reuse materials like rubber, foam, and textile, incinerating MSW to convert waste into electricity, upcycling materials into new reusable products, as well as other recycling programs. As the industry leader in sneaker resale and recycling, we are constantly searching for alternative recycling solutions for end-of-life footwear and remain open to all ideas and efforts to ensure sustainability within our industry. 

We DO NOT accept non-athletic footwear. Please DO NOT ship non-athletic footwear such as dress shoes, heels, sandals, wedges, rain boots, water socks, and any other non-athletic styles. If you have non-athletic footwear that you would like to recycle, we recommend finding a local charity, homeless shelter, or other organization that will accept non-athletic footwear.

All sneakers are required to meet specific brand guidelines to qualify for both the EXCELLENT and GOOD compensation levels. Currently, the following brands qualify for the EXCELLENT and GOOD categories: Adidas, Allbirds, Altra, APL, Asics, Brooks, Columbia, Converse All-Stars, Fila, Hoka One One, Jordan, Keen, Merrell, Mizuno, New Balance, Nike, On, Puma, Reebok, Salomon, SAS, Saucony, Skechers, Sorel, Timberland, Topo, Under Armour, Vans. Please carefully review our sneaker guidelines for more details about our style, condition, measurement, and brand criteria to set proper compensation expectations.

In addition to accepting high quality branded athletic sneakers, GotSneakers does accept Converse All-Stars and Vans canvas shoes. These are the ONLY two (2) canvas brands that we consider athletic styles and qualify for compensation. Please carefully review our published sneaker guidelines for more details about our style, condition, measurement, and brand criteria to set proper compensation expectations.

Yes, we accept sneakers that are missing laces. However, all sneakers that are missing laces will be disqualified from the EXCELLENT category and will default to the GOOD category even if they are in Excellent condition. Please carefully review our published sneaker guidelines for more details about our style, condition, measurement, and brand criteria to set proper compensation expectations.

Yes, we accept sneakers that are missing insoles. However, all sneakers that are missing insoles will be disqualified from the EXCELLENT category and will default to the GOOD category even if they are in Excellent condition. Please carefully review our published sneaker guidelines for more details about our style, condition, measurement, and brand criteria to set proper compensation expectations.

Yes, we do accept athletic cleats. However, we ONLY accept cleats with rubber and/or plastic bottoms. We do NOT accept metal cleats. All metal cleats will be categorized as non-athletic shoes and will NOT qualify for compensation. Currently, we accept rubber baseball, soccer, football, golf, and lacrosse sports cleats. Please carefully review our published sneaker guidelines for more details about our style, condition, measurement, and brand criteria to set proper compensation expectations.

Yes, we do accept kids sneakers. However, we enforce strict measurement guidelines in order to qualify for compensation. Please carefully review our published sneaker guidelines for more details about our style, condition, measurement, and brand criteria to set proper compensation expectations.

The maximum value that can be earned from a single pair of sneakers is $7.00. The sneaker MUST be in New or Like New condition to meet our EXCELLENT criteria. “Shopworn” soles are acceptable, but the sneaker should NOT have any other signs of use to qualify for the EXCELLENT category. Please carefully review our published sneaker guidelines for more details about our style, condition, measurement, and brand criteria to set proper compensation expectations.

While we do not require our partners to secure their sneakers together with rubber bands or tie straps, we do strongly recommend tying your sneakers together with the laces to keep the pair intact. If you cannot or do not choose to tie your sneakers together, it is imperative that you place the pair together within the same bag prior to shipping to us. If sneakers are not paired together within the same bag, then our sort team will be unable to locate the pair and we will not be able to compensate you. ALL single sneakers not paired together in the same bag will be categorized as non-paired singles and will not be eligible for compensation. Please carefully review our published sneaker guidelines for more details about our style, condition, measurement, and brand criteria to set proper compensation expectations.

GotSneakers issues eCheck payments on the first of every month to all active sneaker recycling partners. Please carefully review our eCheck Payments page for a detailed monthly payment schedule and more information about eChecks.

GotSneakers issues payments to its sneaker recycling partners monthly via eChecks. eChecks are a FREE and convenient way to receive and deposit funds. The eCheck will be emailed to the PAYEE EMAIL that was provided at the time of your registration; there are NO exceptions. If you need to update your payee email, please send us an email and our support team will assist you with editing your account information. It is important to add app@echecks.com to your contact list so your email application recognizes where the email is sent from. If you do not receive your eCheck, please check your spam or junk folder. You will have 180 days to retrieve and deposit your check. Your eCheck will permanently expire after 180 days.

The most common (and FREE) way to deposit your eCheck is to print the check and deposit it just like a regular check using mobile banking, ATM, or bank teller. If you do not have access to a printer, please visit the Deluxe Help Center and click on the Getting Paid tab to see other options to retrieve and deposit your eCheck. If you still have questions about depositing your eCheck, you can contact Deluxe by email at support@deluxechecks.com or by phone at 877-333-6964.

If you do not have access to a printer, please visit the Deluxe Help Center and click on the Getting Paid tab to see other options to retrieve and deposit your eCheck. If you still have questions about depositing your eCheck, you can contact Deluxe by email at support@deluxechecks.com  or by phone at 877-333-6964.

You will have 180 days to retrieve and deposit your check. Your eCheck will permanently expire after 180 days. We do NOT reissue eChecks after they expire under any circumstances. 

Currently, we do not offer any other payment methods. eChecks is a great solution that enables seamless electronic payments and is the ONLY payment option available at this time.

There is no expiration for recycling your sneakers and earning money with GotSneakers. We strongly encourage all our sneaker recycling partners to remain engaged and continue recycling their used sneakers on an ongoing basis. There is no cost to continue to participate and there is no limit on how much money can be earned from recycling sneakers with GotSneakers. The more sneakers you send, the more you earn. So, keep them coming!

Yes, a detailed Payment & Impact report is sent every month to all active sneaker recycling partners. The Payment & Impact report provides a detailed summary of footwear by category, compensation earned from the sneakers we received, as well as a sustainability breakdown showing environmental impact for landfill diversion, CO2 displacement, and H2O displacement.

GotSneakers’ Payment & Impact report provides a detailed summary of footwear by category, compensation earned from the sneakers we receive, as well as a sustainability breakdown showing environmental impact for landfill diversion, CO2 displacement, and H2O displacement.

All return shipping to GotSneakers is 100% FREE if you follow the required guidelines provided in our shipping instructions. Every GotSneakers recycling bag includes a prepaid and pre-labeled FedEx shipping label, which includes a unique Account ID that is essential for tracking and reporting. All footwear will ONLY be compensated if it is shipped within GotSneakers’ provided recycling bags. GotSneakers will NOT accept any footwear shipped in other types of packaging supplies including but not limited to boxes of any kind. Please carefully read our shipping instructions for detailed information on shipping.

GotSneakers works with all major carriers for outbound shipping of starter kits and recycling bags to our partners. However, all return shipping of bags to GotSneakers is currently serviced by FedEx. Please carefully read our shipping instructions for detailed information on shipping.

All starter kits are typically processed within 48 hours. In most cases, starter kits are delivered within 10-14 days after registering a new account. However, we cannot control any unexpected delays that may occur with USPS due to unknown circumstances, such as weather.

You will receive an email notification once your bag(s) is delivered to let you know we have received your bag(s) at one of our facilities. Please carefully read our shipping instructions for detailed information on shipping.

If you are in possession of a bag(s) with a damaged shipping label that is either illegible or will not be accepted by FedEx, please do NOT use the bag(s). Please send us an email and our support team will assist you further. We will either email you a new shipping label to place over the damaged label or send you a new bag(s) with new shipping labels.

If you are in possession of a bag(s) without a shipping label, please send us an email and our support team will assist you further. We will either email you a new shipping label to place on the bag(s) or send you a new bag(s) with new shipping labels. Please carefully read our shipping instructions for detailed information on shipping.

No. We do not reimburse for shipments that are shipped without a pre-paid GotSneakers shipping label. If you mistakenly choose to ship your bag(s) without a pre-paid shipping label supplied by GotSneakers, unfortunately, you will be required to incur that cost. Please carefully read our shipping instructions for detailed information on shipping.

No. All footwear will ONLY be compensated if it is shipped within GotSneakers’ provided sneaker recycling bags. We will NOT accept any footwear shipped in other types of packaging supplies including but not limited to boxes of any kind. Please carefully read our shipping instructions for detailed information on shipping.

Due to an influx of inbound inquiries received daily and our customer service philosophy of responding to these inquiries in a timely manner, we are no longer offering the option to coordinate shipments on behalf of our partners. FedEx is well positioned to serve our partners with thousands of drop-off locations and access points in the U.S., and their customer service team is standing by willing and able to help by phone. We recommend using one of FedEx’s convenient shipping options below to coordinate your shipment.

• Drop off your bag(s) at any nearby FedEx store. 
• Schedule a pickup by phone with FedEx customer service at 1-800-463-3339.
• Give your bag(s) to your FedEx driver if you have a regular daily or weekly pickup.

Each bag holds approximately 10-12 pair of adult size sneakers.

No. There is no cost for additional sneaker recycling bags. Our sneaker recycling program is 100% FREE including materials and all shipping to and from all sneaker recycling partners.

At this time, the maximum number of bags that can be requested at one time is fifty (50) bags. If you believe you will need more than fifty (50) bags for your sneakers, please send us an email and our support team will assist you further. 

If you have unused bags from your sneaker recycling campaign, we recommend holding onto them until you are ready to use them again in the future. The shipping label on the bag typically remains active for 12-18 months. If you have unused bags but do not intend on using the bags at any point in the future, then we recommend writing the word “VOID” on the shipping label, removing the label from the bag(s) and discarding the label, then recycling the poly mailer(s) with a local recycling organization. You can also send us an email with the tracking numbers of the unused shipping labels and our support team will go ahead and void the labels for you.

We have written a set of email templates that you can use for your campaign.

You don’t have to, we wrote a press release template for you.

Develop a catchy, engaging message that will make people want to support your cause and recycle unwanted athletic sneakers. Don’t just notify people of your campaign; let them know why you are doing it. The WHY is very impactful!

• Recycling and Sustainability Message:
Did you know most people throw away their unwanted sneakers after 250-400 miles, or every 125-200 days, without ever thinking about recycling? Since sneakers are manufactured with materials that are not biodegradable, they remain in landfills or are incinerated which leads to toxic chemicals in our air and soil.

The EPA estimates that 200-300 million pairs of shoes are thrown into our landfills each year contaminating our environment. With your help, we can keep sneakers out of landfills, reduce toxic chemicals in our air and soil, and raise money to support our cause. Let’s make a difference together!

• Circular Economy Message:
Did you know the process of manufacturing sneakers produces large amounts of CO2, which contributes to the serious effects of climate change and global warming? Recycling and reusing sneakers keeps sneakers out of landfills, reduces the need for manufacturing new shoes and sneakers, and supports a healthy circular economy. Help us by simply cleaning out your closet and sending us your old athletic sneakers!

You can get more ideas by reviewing the rest of the fundraising tips.

Start by reaching out to your close relationships – friends, family, neighbors, co-workers – and ask them to register an account with GotSneakers. Make sure you provide them with your PAYEE NAME and PAYEE EMAIL so you get credit for their sneakers. Ask everyone who registers to start cleaning out their closets and fill up at least one (1) full sneaker collection bag (10-15 pairs). If they want to take their sneaker recycling efforts to the next level, ask them to fill up all five (5) sneaker collection bags.

You can get more ideas by reviewing the rest of the fundraising tips.

We’ve got digital tools ready for you to spread the word! Grab resources from prewriten email templates and a press release or premade social media graphics. We love to see our partners active on social media!

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook at @gotsneakersusa and tag us so we can give you a shout out and support your marketing efforts! Market, advertise, socialize!

Try to find places with easy access and good visibility to make the process as simple as possible for everyone. Partner with local businesses to host a drop off location for your campaign. If you can, notify your networks about your local partnerships so they know where they can take their sneakers to support your campaign. Remember, the easier you make it for everyone, the more sneakers you will collect and the more money you will earn!

We’re all about giving you a high-five! Tag us @gotsneakersusa on Instagram and Facebook when you share about the campaign. We’ll cheer you on and share the love with our followers. Market, advertise, socialize!

Consistently check up with everyone who has registered to support your campaign. Consider sending out weekly group email or text message reminders. Consistent and constant communication is the key to the success of your sneaker drive! Your supporters will do their best to help if they feel your passion!

You can get more ideas by reviewing the rest of the fundraising tips.

If your starter kit or bag request has not been delivered within 14 days of your registration or bag request, please send us an email and our support team will assist you further.

Please send us an email with your complete and accurate account information per the required information in the registration form so our support team can resolve your case in a timely manner.

Please send us an email with your complete and accurate account information per the required information in the registration form so our support team can resolve your case in a timely manner.