Study finds almost a quarter of discarded shoes undamaged
Innovation hub Fashion For Good has published a phase-one report as part of a project called Closing the Footwear Loop.
It launched the project in February 2025 and has run a series of pilots with project partners, focusing on analysing the materials in post-consumer footwear waste. These pilots examined in detail 1,200 shoes that consumers had thrown away.
Among the conclusions in the phase-one report is the finding that 24% of the 1,200 individual shoes the project has examined in depth that consumers post-consumer footwear showed no visible damage.
In many cases, of course, consumers will have discarded these products because of damage to the other shoe in the pair. Fashion For Good has called on brands and retailers to offer repair and cleaning services to help extend the use of these products.
