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THE BIG SHOE GUIDE FOR NORTHERN FRANCE

Published on Mar 26, 2016

Everything you need to know about collecting and donating footwear for Calais and northern France.

PRESENTATION OUTLINE

THE BIG SHOE GUIDE

The dos and don'ts of shoe collecting
Photo by amlusch

POOR DONATIONS ARE

  • Wasting your time & money
  • Sapping energy in Calais warehouse
  • Costing money - they have to be transported back to the UK
  • Joining this photo - the NO GOOD pile

SHOES NEED TO SURVIVE:

The mud, wet & loads of walking

NOT WANTED

  • Wellies (honestly!)
  • Old trainers/boots
  • Canvas pumps/shoes (hard to dry out)
  • Heels or Ugg-style boots
  • Slippers
  • Anything suede
  • Anything tatty

NOT WANTED

DID YOU KNOW? There are LOADS of pairs of shoes
needing to come BACK to the UK from Calais!

Photo by paulbence

PLEASE COLLECT

  • Good quality walking boots/trainers
  • New or good condition
  • Sizes UK 8-9 (42-43) are in demand
  • Dark colours
For those unsure; if it's for Calais and Dunkirk collections, hiking boots are most wanted. Due to waterlogging at camps and lack of washing and drying facilities, once a pair of shoes is wet, they're hugely hard to dry and will usually end up as rubbish - something the camps struggle to get rid of. Due to lack of draining, the camps are usually muddy and wet, meaning things like canvas shoes can't be worn.

Wellies are great for at the actual camp, but are no good for people trying to hop inside lorries, or people walking long distances; hence waterproof walking boots being highest in demand.

People are so loving and generous in donating items, and it's wonderful to see. However, most people have a 'better than nothing' policy, which leads to a lot of wasted space, petrol, and energy.

THE PERFECT SHOE

New or high quality

PREPARATION

  • Pair your shoes by tying the laces together or using rubber bands or masking tape
  • DO NOT use brown packing tape - it ruins shoes
  • Label with size
Photo by dullhunk

DID YOU KNOW?
Walking boots/trainers are still wanted in summer for walking.

Photo by brewbooks

Flip Flops are useful in summer for inside tents/showers

Photo by elvisripley

UNSUITABLE DONATIONS

North of Brum - sorted by www.Shropshireloves.org.uk

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