Donating Children’s Shoes is Keen Act

Lisa Flowers, owner of Keen Children's Shoes, stands proud in front of her store which she has owned since 2006.

All right everyone; start gathering all your kiddo’s outgrown shoes, including sandals, rain and winter boots and slippers. Now put them in a box and donate them to Keen Children’s Shoe store in Carmel. For over five years Keen’s has collected over 2,000 pairs of shoes. That’s 4,000 individual shoes, for 4,000 little feet and 20,000 little toes most of whom have never worn a pair of shoes before.

Keen’s has partnered with Changing Footprints, a local organization that collects gently used shoes for children and adults. They then distribute them to local shelters and missionaries as well as poverty-stricken countries and natural disaster areas. “Everyone needs shoes,” said Lisa Flowers, owner of Keen Children’s Shoes. “It is a basic necessity that we take for granted.” Flowers also explained that it doesn’t matter what type of shoes these kids wear, as long as they have a sole. “These kids don’t complain about the color, style or even size of their ‘new’ shoes,” she said.

Flowers went on to say that her customers who know about the program will donate the shoes right off their kid’s feet. “After we get their children sized and the parents purchase new shoes, they go ahead and leave their outgrown shoes to donate,” she said. The most important thing about this program is that Flowers knows these shoes are going to the right place. “Changing Footprints sent over 1000 pairs of shoes to New Orleans after Katrina hit,” she said. “They send them to where they are most needed.”

Daniel Melbert is getting his foot sized by Lisa Flowers, owner of Keen Children's Shoes. Gavin Fleming waits patiently to have his feet sized as well.

However, Flowers said that the biggest problem is the cost of getting the shoes to these overseas villages. “It is a huge expense,” she said. Changing Footprints is currently looking for funding and/or grants for this expenditure. Please visit www.changingfootprints.com for details on how you can help and information on their shoe donation program.

Keen Children Shoes is located at 20 Executive Drive, off Range Line Road behind Walgreens or you can go to www.keenchildrenshoes.com or call 580-9830 for more information.

Now get your gently-used shoes over to Keen’s and help Changing Footprints “Change the World Two Feet at a Time.”