SOLE SURVIVORS

A new life awaits those old soles.

Take your stinky sneakers and other used athletic footwear to Riverfront Park today and they could become part of a basketball court, running track or even a soccer field.

Through the Nike Reuse-a-Shoe program, old athletic shoes can be ground up and transformed into high-tech surfaces for gym floors, indoor tracks and kids’ playgrounds.

As part of Earth Day 2007, the Spokane Regional Solid Waste System is collecting all brands of athletic shoes (not just Nike, of course) as long as they’re free of cleats or any kind of metal.

The Reuse-a-Shoe program is just one of more than 40 different informational booths and activities that will be featured as part of the annual Earth Day celebration. People can use the opportunity to not only get rid of high-mileage running shoes and other used footwear, but also to learn more about what they can do to recycle and protect the environment.

“Our choices make a world of difference,” said Argyle Baukol, head of the Earth Day planning committee and one of two living green specialists at Spokane Neighborhood Action Programs. “The goal is to encourage everyone to participate in becoming responsible for our impact on the planet.”

More than 500 people are expected at this year’s celebration, which will focus on the theme, “Sustaining the Earth, Our Choices Make a World of Difference.”

The event includes live music and dancing and a costumed parade at noon known as the “Procession of the Species.” Other activities include a Tread Lightly Bike Ride, the “Not So Trivial” Pursuit and a Bioneers Film Festival across the street in the Spokane City Hall Council Chambers. (Bioneers, by the way, is a group of scientific and social innovators dedicated to the conservation of biological and cultural diversity, traditional farming practices and environmental restoration.)

Besides shoes, people also can recycle old cell phones – including some accessories and adapters. The cell phone collection helps raise money for the Selkirk Conservation Alliance.

Many in Spokane are making an effort to conserve resources and live a lower-impact lifestyle, said Baukol. In addition to recycling, more people are riding their bikes instead of driving their cars, paying attention to the packaging of the products they buy and cleaning their homes with vinegar, baking soda and other chlorine- and chemical-free products.

“There’s always room to grow,” she said. “Earth Day is a way for us to learn from each other and share ideas with the rest of the community.”