Shoes for Sherpas
A Successful October 2012 Trip!
Another trip in the works!
We're now collecting boots for our next trip to Nepal's Dhading District in June 2013
Goals
Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world, with 55% of its population living below the international poverty line of less than US $1.25 per day [1]. The tourism industry brings in much-needed income, especially in the Everest region in the eastern part of the country.
The Sherpas are an ethnic group living primarily in the mountainous regions of eastern Nepal, and many make their living as porters in the tourism trade as well as in the day-to-day transport of goods from village to village. Since quality footwear is often either unavailable or unaffordable, our goal is to provide as much "used but still usable" footwear as possible to those living in the region.
You can help! Please donate hiking boots, cross trainers, or running shoes that still have some life left in them. We will distribute them in the Dhading District in June 2013. Don't let a "good sole" go to waste!
About the Boots
New or Used
We're collecting new or "used but still usable" footwear, especially hiking boots, cross trainers, and running shoes.
Some amount of wear is ok as long as there's still some life left in the soles, but please, nothing with holes or other damage - we don't have the funds to do repairs.
Sizes
Nepalis tend to have smaller and wider feet on average than Americans or Europeans. Sizes most in need include:
| US | UK | Europe | cm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's sizes up to: | 8.5 | 8 | 42 | 26 |
| Women's sizes up to: | 10 | 7.5 | 42 | 26 |
| Any children's sizes | ||||
Drop-off Sites
We're now collecting boots for our next trip to Nepal in June 2013!
If you would like to donate but can't make it to one of the drop-off sites, please get in touch so we can make other arrangements.
Denver, CO
Runners Roost - Denver
1685 S Colorado Blvd
Denver, CO 80222 [map]
www.RunnersRoost.com/locations_denver.html
Donations
Sponsor a bag of boots and shoes and we'll put your name on it!
(This covers the cost of one duffel bag plus international shipping.)
We're not making any money from this project, and are paying international shipping and local transport expenses out-of-pocket. We'd love it if you would consider a small donation to help defray expenses:
If you'd like to make a cash contribution, you can click one of the green donate buttons, or go directly to: www.wepay.com/donations/shoes-for-sherpas
Note: Contributions or gifts to Shoes for Sherpas are not tax deductible as charitable contributions.
Help with international shipping and local transport costs!
Thanks to our supporters
Many thanks to all who have donated footwear or volunteered to spread the word or act as drop-off sites!
Special thanks go to...
Bag Sponsors!
Earthbound Expeditions
Rajan Simkhada is President of Kathmandu-based Earthbound Expeditions (P.) LTD., a Himalayan adventure travel and trekking company. Rajan is our main resource within Nepal for coordinating shipping, travel, and distribution.
www.enepaltrekking.com
www.trektibet.com
Runners Roost - Denver
The fine folks at the Denver location of Runners Roost Colorado have provided a drop-off site in addition to donating many pairs of barely-used running and trail shoes!
www.runnersroost.com/locations_denver.html
Contact Us
You can reach us by email to: info@ShoesForSherpas.org
If you would like to donate but can't make it to one of the drop-off sites shown above, please get in touch so we can make other arrangements.