14 hours ago
Footy boot exchange program cuts waste, saves families money
A not-for-profit is ensuring aspiring young footballers with fast-growing feet always have access to boots that fit, and that their outgrown shoes go to a good home.
The Boot Exchange helps families swap and share footy boots, free of charge, so no-one misses out.
Matt Lawley, co-founder of enterprise, said the concept was simple: "You bring an old pair of boots that your children have grown out of and exchange them for a new pair."
He said many parents, already facing cost-of-living pressures, struggled to buy new boots for their kids every year, but ended up with still-wearable spare pairs their children had grown out of.
'There were just so many pairs of boots that were gathering dust in sheds and garages,' he said.
'The idea of this is that you really never need to buy a new pair of boots.
"You just grow out of them and exchange them for a different pair.'
Mr Lawley said the kids at his local soccer club in North Beach loved coming out and seeing the pre-loved footy boots on display.
"They're always coming in after their games on a Sunday and checking to see what new boots have been dropped off and what changes have been made to the display," he said.
But it is the deeper lesson of learning how to reuse and recycle that is at the heart of this not-for-profit's mission.
He said some boots had been worn only a few times and were in great condition.
"They've got so much life left in them," he said.
Sustainability expert Professor David Gilchrist, a director at the Centre for Public Value at the University of Western Australia, said buying used goods, through places like The Boot Exchange, could help reduce household waste simply by shifting shopper attitudes.
"It helps young people … understand that second-hand goods are just as good as brand-new goods and that they should be using those resources wisely.
"Where we have people struggling to make a living, we can actually enjoy the benefit of second-hand goods while still keeping our cost of living down.
"I think there's some really good messaging as well as practical sustainability outcomes from this kind of activity."
The program is having a positive effect on the community in North Beach.
Mother-of-two Natalie Charlton, who has exchanged her seven-year-old daughter's soccer boots twice, said the experience helped teach her child about the importance of sustainability.
"It's just that kind of mind shift change of, 'Does it have to be new to be good?'."
Keeping costs down is something that is important to Ms Charlton and her family as they manage their household budget.
"If we can reduce money in other ways and our kids can still continue to play sport, we're happy," she said.
'I think the boots are so good because they always look pretty new.
"They've been used for one season. We've seen boots here that we haven't seen at the store."
Mr Lawley said he hoped the concept could be rolled out to more clubs across Australia.
He says any club could get started by building a "bank of boots".
