Soles4Souls Inc., the shoe charity, and Lehigh Safety Shoe Co., one of the largest and most respected safety footwear companies in the world, are teaming up to provide an easy way to trade in "gently worn" safety shoes and boots to help people in need. Each pair of boots and shoes will go directly to a person in need while keeping the footwear out of American landfills.

"This is a unique way for hard-working Americans to reach out to other working men and women to provide a vital resource quickly," says Wayne Elsey, founder and CEO of Soles4Souls Inc. "In order for this program to work well, we need safety directors, plant managers, and HR personnel from all industrial companies in the country to answer our call to action and join the Soles4Souls + Lehigh Trade-in Program."

"We're excited to partner with Soles4Souls to implement a grassroots plan that will redirect our customers' gently used shoes and boots to people in need. Lehigh would like to see these shoes on people's feet rather than being dumped in a landfill," says Richard Simms, senior vice president and general manager of Lehigh Safety Shoes.

Industrial companies currently hosting shoe fairs or shoe mobile events at their plants can easily participate by signing up with Lehigh and Soles4Souls. Each participating location will receive donation boxes, brochures and advertising materials for the event, and PR coverage in their local market highlighting their company as a partner in the recycling program.

For more information or to sign up, visit www.giveshoes.org. You also may email Pattie Graben at [email protected] or call 615-391-5723.

Lehigh Safety Shoe Co. LLC is one of the largest and most respected safety footwear companies in the industry today. Founded in 1922, Lehigh brings more than 84 years of safety footwear experience to each interaction with our customers. Over the years, the company has introduced many innovative new products and technologies which have led to increased safety awareness in workplace. At Lehigh, it is confident in its ability to deliver products that are affordable, comfortable, and of the highest quality. It does this every day to its more than 25,000 safety shoe accounts worldwide. Visit www.lehighsafetyshoes.com for more information.

Nashville-based Soles4Souls facilitates the donations of both new and used shoes, which are used to aid the hurting worldwide. Since its inception, Soles4Souls has distributed more than 3.3 million pairs (or one pair every 23 seconds) to people in more than 60 countries, including Honduras, Romania, Thailand, and the Sudan. The charity has been featured on CNN Headline News, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, ABC News, FOX, CBS, and hundreds of regional outlets around North America. Soles4Souls is a 501(c)(3) recognized by the IRS; donating parties are eligible for tax advantages. Visit www.giveshoes.org for more information.