After two years in business, Roberts Running and Walking in Huntington has become known for quality athletic shoes and specialized shoe fittings, but few know of the business's charitable contributions.
Since its opening in November of 2006, owner Robert Smith has collected used running shoes for donation to charitable organizations. To date, he said the store has collected approximately 400 pairs of shoes.
All donated shoes eventually find their way to a person in need.
"It's a great thing that's going on here," Smith said. "We can take gently worn shoes from runners or walkers and give them a second life with another person."
Often, the shoes are simply not the correct fit for buyers, so they are returned to the store and placed in the store's donation container. In other cases, companies, such as Asics, instruct store owners not to resell the shoes and give them to charity instead.
The store also collects shoes at the annual Marshall Marathon. Last year, Smith said they collected approximately 500 pairs of shoes at the race alone.
The marathon allows Smith to gather hundreds of shoes in one day.
"After we finished collecting, we put them all in the back of trucks and drove them to where they were needed," Smith said.
The shoes make their way to several organizations, such as Green Acres, the City Mission, the Harmony House and the Echo House.
John Mendez of the Harmony House said he views the shoes as a gift of confidence rather than footwear.
"By providing people with relatively new, well crafted shoes, they can commute to their job interviews with more confidence and comfort," Mendez said. "Ultimately, this makes them more competitive in the job market."
Emma Sue Smith, a supervisor at Green Acres, said she appreciates the shoe donations and anticipates their arrivals.
"Clients look forward to fittings with supervisors for their new pair of shoes," Smith said. "They're proud to say where their shoes are from when asked."
Smith said she hopes to expand the collaboration and eventually create a program for Christmas that will give people new shoes.
Tony Nuce, a client of Green Acres and recipient of a pair of shoes, said he thinks the high quality shoes last longer and help him perform more comfortably on the job.
"The shoes I have are of a better quality than I could normally afford," Nuce said. "I've had them for a year, which is longer than most others last."
Roberts Running and Walking also serves as a liaison for organizations hoping to spread information to runners and walkers concerning charitable races.
Drew Watson, an employee of Roberts Running and Walking and avid runner, said he thinks that the stores involvement with the community is what makes the store unique.
"We try to let people know about races, such as the Adam Johnson Race, that might not get that much publicity," Watson said.
Watson also said the business tries to create a healthy community for everyone and hopes their charity reaches as many people as possible.
Katie Harper can be contacted at harper109@marshall.edu.
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