There are many charitable organizations that specialize in the distribution of shoes. There are many people in different parts of the world that walk around on a daily basis without any shoes not by their own choosing but because they do not have the resources to purchase shoes. Shoes that families have that have been gently worn and not taken a great deal of abuse can be donated to these organizations that specialize in providing shoes for the needy.
There are many ways in which shoes can be donated if one is not familiar with any particular charities that specialize in donating shoes. Shoe drives can be organized by schools, businesses and churches and people can donate their shoes to these drives. Students can collect shoes as a community service act and be considered for school credit. Footwear houses sometimes donate the shoes that are seconds or have minor flaws in their manufacture. Shoe companies and retailers can donate shoes that do not sell at the end of a season and individuals can donate shoes directly to a charity whose primary goal is to donate shoes.
Shoes are donated to many parts of the world where people walk barefooted. They may have been victims of Hurricane Katrina, or are considered third world areas such as Africa, Thailand and Nepal. There even areas of the United States where people are shoeless. Many charitable organizations that specialize in donating shoes have annual goals for their donations and some claim to be able to donate a pair of shoes every seven seconds. As with any charitable organization, these specializing in shoes should be verified that they meet the regulations of the Internal Revenue service as a tax-exempt organization. If so, then donating shoes is tax deductible as is any other charitable donation.