A San Francisco youth during a sneaker upcycle course – credit SoleSpace Lab

Educating and encouraging people to reduce their waste footprint doesn’t always have to be done through fear or social pressure, it can be fun and empowering as well.

That’s what the SoleSpace Lab in Oakland is doing—reducing the amount of waste from the footwear industry by teaching kids and teens how to level up their old kicks through cobbling and customization classes.

There are billions of shoes made around the world every year, and in another story on the topic, GNN recently reported that the average American will own around 250 pairs of shoes in a lifetime. That’s a lot of waste, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

Jeff Perlstein, founder of the SoleSpace Lab, is trying to help people see that, and believes that with a bit of vinyl, glue, paint, and a sewing machine, he can make a major difference in his community and the world.

“Lots of people are concerned about the future of our planet, our impact on it, but feel kind of helpless. So, this is a real opportunity for people to make a difference, to be very hands-on, and also express their creativity at the same time,” explained Perlstein.

A unique sneaker repair shop, the SoleSpace Lab teaches folks how to upcycle, refurbish, or customize their shoes. The resulting handicraft is pretty cool, and more often than not reflects the wearer’s personality and interests.

CBS News in the Bay Area saw some made in a Wu Tang Clan style, some repaired using cork wood, and others customized in the colors of the Golden State Valkyries.

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But what’s cooler than the shoes are some of the people helping spread the word about the Lab’s mission. Former Golden State Warrior Adonal Foyle helped to give away some lightly worn, very cool sneakers in an event outside the Warrior’s home arena of the Chase Center called “Sustainable Sole.”

When he played for the Warriors, shoes came and went like Gatorade bottles.

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“We pretty much used one sneaker a game,” Foyle told CBS, who donated some of his sneakers to the event where Perlstein and SoleSpace Lab hosted an outdoor workshop in the craft of refurbishing old sneakers.

Sometimes it’s just the case that a pair need new soles, but that’s rarely going to excite or interest someone raised in the modern consumer culture of fast fashion. By giving them the chance to express themselves, the attendees didn’t just get the opportunity to walk away with a fresher pair of kicks or an understanding in the cobbler’s craft, but a fresher perspective on what they can do to reduce landfill waste.

WATCH the story below from CBS… 

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