Sneaker Impact
Sneaker Impact, Inc. operates a vertically integrated post-consumer sneaker recycling platform that collects used footwear through consumer bags, organizational boxes, and 3,000+ drop-off locations, grades it in Miami, and routes wearable pairs to 5,000+ micro-entrepreneurs across 26+ countries while processing end-of-life pairs into circular rubber and foam granules.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersMiami, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Sneaker Impact does
Sneaker Impact, Inc. is a Miami-headquartered post-consumer sneaker recycling company operating a vertically integrated reverse-logistics platform. The company collects end-of-life and gently-used sneakers through Take Back Bags sold to individual consumers and Take Back Boxes supplied to organizations, with drop-off coverage spanning 3,000+ locations across gyms, footwear retailers, running specialty stores, universities, government buildings, and major marathon events in the United States. Collected footwear is shipped to the company's 75,000+ sq ft Miami processing facility, where it passes through a four-tier in-house grading system (Tier A almost-new, Tier B used-excellent, Tier C minor-repair, Tier D end-of-life) before being routed to one of two downstream channels. Tiers A–C are exported to a network of 5,000+ micro-entrepreneurs in 26+ developing countries for affordable local resale, while Tier D sneakers enter a patent-pending five-stage circular material processing system producing rubber, EVA, TPU, and PU foam granules for industrial supply chains. The company also operates offices in Los Angeles and Amsterdam to support North American and European programs.
The business model is a hybrid of resale revenue from graded sneakers sold to micro-entrepreneurs, future circular materials revenue (currently in R&D and testing phase), and corporate collection services that are presently provided without charge but with planned future pricing. The company has accumulated 15,750,000+ pairs recycled and reports 128,660,155+ CO2e kg diverted from landfill as cumulative impact metrics. Named enterprise partners include Saucony, ASICS, Orange Theory (500+ gyms), Rack Room Shoes (500+ stores), Fleet Feet (100+ stores), Planet Fitness, Lifetime Fitness, New York Road Runners, Chicago Marathon, and the City of Miami-Dade County. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.
Sneaker Impact was founded approximately 1984 and is led by Founder and CEO Moe Hachem; the ownership structure appears founder-controlled with no disclosed institutional investor backing. The marketing motion is primarily organic, relying on social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube), a podcast/news series, and partner referrals rather than paid acquisition. Technology differentiation rests on the in-house Miami processing capability, the patent-pending circular materials system, and automated per-unit CO2e tracking used for client ESG reporting.
Sneaker Impact firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sneaker Impact
- Legal name
- Sneaker Impact, Inc.
- Website
- https://sneakerimpact.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sneaker Impact, Inc. operates a vertically integrated post-consumer sneaker recycling platform that collects used footwear through consumer bags, organizational boxes, and 3,000+ drop-off locations, grades it in Miami, and routes wearable pairs to 5,000+ micro-entrepreneurs across 26+ countries while processing end-of-life pairs into circular rubber and foam granules.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sneaker Impact industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Footwear Recycling Services
- NAICS
- Footwear and Leather Goods Repair (811430)
- SIC
- Retail-Shoe Stores (5661)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sneaker Cleaning & Restoration Services (HSAJAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Shoe Repair (Cobbler) Services (HSAJAIAB), Shoe Cleaning & Polishing Services (HSAJAIAA)
Keywords
Where Sneaker Impact is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Miami
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Sneaker Impact business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Sneaker Resale to Micro-Entrepreneurs: Graded sneakers (Tiers A, B, C) are sold and distributed to a network of 5,000+ micro-entrepreneurs in developing countries at accessible prices, creating income opportunities and local affordable footwear access. Products are exported to 26+ countries including Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Dubai, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, Kenya, Angola, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and Moldova.
- Circular Materials Sales: End-of-life sneakers (Tier D) are processed into circular materials including rubber granules (4-6mm sizes), EVA foam granules, TPU granules, and PU foam granules. These high-purity materials are sold to supply chains for industrial and manufacturing applications. Program is currently in R&D and testing phase.
- Corporate Collection Services: Provides collection programs for businesses, schools, cities, gyms, and events. Handles truckloads from retailers, consumer shipping returns, customer return programs, and corporate take-back initiatives. Currently no charge but pricing planned to change in the future.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Take Back Bag for individual consumers - free with shipping |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Take Back Boxes for organizations |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels7 records
Sneaker Impact product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sneaker Impact collects post-consumer sneakers through consumer Take Back Bags and organizational Take Back Boxes, then grades and sorts them into four tiers at its Miami facility. Wearable pairs (Tiers A/B/C) are resold to a global network of micro-entrepreneurs, while end-of-life pairs (Tier D) are processed through a patent-pending circular material system into rubber, EVA, TPU, and PU granules for industrial supply chains, with CO2e impact reporting for corporate ESG programs.
Product overview
Sneaker Impact is a sustainability-focused footwear recycling company offering a unified platform combining collection services, grading/sorting operations, customer return programs, and circular material innovation. The core offering consists of Take Back Bags (for individuals) and Take Back Boxes (for organizations) that enable consumers and businesses to recycle sneakers. Collected footwear goes through a four-tier grading process at their Miami facility, with wearable pairs redistributed to a network of 5,000+ micro entrepreneurs globally, while end-of-life sneakers are processed into circular materials (rubber granules, EVA foam, TPU foam, PU foam) through their patent-pending system. The company also handles C-Grade customer returns for large brands. The platform integrates reverse logistics, global distribution, and ESG reporting capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Take Back Bag Consumer recycling bag holding up to 7 pairs of sneakers, offered free with shipping and processing; each bag is associated with approximately 59.766 CO2e kg prevented. Ordered directly through the Sneaker Impact Shopify storefront.
- Take Back Boxes Organizational collection solution: 1 case contains 8 boxes with capacity of 35 pairs per box (280 pairs total per case), free for organizations including retail, corporations, education, and events. Each box is associated with approximately 298.837 CO2e kg prevented.
- Circular Materials (Rubber, EVA, TPU, and PU Granules) High-purity circular material streams produced by the patent-pending five-stage processing system at the Miami facility, including rubber granules (4-6mm sizes), EVA foam granules, TPU granules, and PU granules, sold to industrial supply chains for manufacturing applications.
- Customer Returns Service Service for large athletic footwear brands handling C-Grade product and distribution center returns, both domestic and international, with brand integrity protection through controlled, in-house Miami processing.
Quantifiable outcome
- 15,750,000+ footwear pairs diverted from landfills
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Sneaker Impact
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Sneaker Impact technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Sneaker Impact partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and supporting.
- Orange TheorycoreCollection partnership with 500+ Orange Theory Gyms across the country. Gym locations serve as drop-off points for member sneaker donations. Provides collection boxes for in-gym placement.
- Planet FitnesscoreCollection partnership with Planet Fitness gyms. Gym locations serve as drop-off points for member sneaker donations.
- Rack Room ShoescoreCollection partnership with 500+ Rack Room Shoes stores across the country. Retail locations serve as sneaker drop-off points for customers.
- Fleet FeetcorePartnership with 100+ Fleet Feet locations plus hundreds of independent run specialty stores. Running specialty retailers serve as sneaker collection drop-off points.
- Lifetime FitnesscoreCollection partnership with Lifetime Fitness health clubs. Gym locations serve as drop-off points for member sneaker donations.
- SauconykeyBrand partnership for sneaker collection programs. Saucony supports the circular economy initiative through product take-back and recycling programs.
- ASICSkeyBrand partnership for sneaker collection programs. ASICS participates in product take-back and recycling initiatives.
- New York Road RunnerskeyMajor running organization partnership for sneaker collection at NYRR events and activities.
- Chicago MarathonkeyEvent collection partnership at the Chicago Marathon. Provides sneaker collection opportunities during race events.
- City of Miami-Dade CountykeyGovernment partnership with sneaker collection across 100+ buildings for government employees and partners. Supports municipal sustainability initiatives.
- Low ImpactsupportingPartner organization supporting sustainable sneaker collection and recycling initiatives.
- RIA Running IndustrysupportingRunning Industry Association partnership supporting sneaker recycling across the running retail industry.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sneaker Impact competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- StockX: Secondary sneaker marketplace enabling resale of used sneakers. Adjacent ecosystem participant in the used-sneaker value chain, but focused on resale rather than recycling or material recovery.
Direct peers
- TerraCycle: Operates consumer-facing collection programs for hard-to-recycle products, including footwear, in partnership with brands and retailers. Comparable in offering enterprise take-back solutions with branded consumer drop-off networks.
- I:CO (I:Collect / Reverse Logistics Group): Operates one of the largest global shoe and textile take-back and reuse networks, processing used footwear for resale in developing markets and recycling. Highly comparable to Sneaker Impact's collection-to-micro-entrepreneur model.
- Soex Group: Germany-based footwear and textile recycling company that sorts and resells used shoes globally and recovers raw materials. Direct comparable in post-consumer sneaker processing and resale into developing markets.
Emerging players
- Renewlogy: Plastics-to-feedstock recycling company that processes mixed post-consumer polymers. Comparable in operating polymer-recycling technology for hard-to-recycle streams similar to multi-material sneakers.
- Patagonia Worn Wear: Brand-operated take-back, repair, and resale program for apparel and footwear. Comparable as a branded take-back model but apparel-focused rather than sneaker-specialized.
- GreenMantra Technologies: Converts post-consumer plastics, including polymers like EVA and PU, into specialty materials. Directly comparable in the downstream circular-materials output side of Sneaker Impact's model.
Broad incumbents
- Adidas: Operates in-house product take-back and circular material initiatives through partnerships with vendors. Represents a brand-vertical alternative in sneaker recycling and circular materials supply.
- Rubicon Technologies: Waste and recycling technology platform serving enterprises and municipalities with ESG and diversion tracking. Comparable in using digital infrastructure to support large-scale collection and ESG reporting programs.
- Nike Reuse-A-Shoe: Nike's in-house sneaker recycling program that grinds old shoes into materials for sports surfaces. A brand-owned alternative that competes for athletic-footwear take-back contracts that Sneaker Impact also targets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sneaker Impact social profiles
Digital presenceSneaker Impact financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sneaker Impact leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Sneaker Impact funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sneaker Impact M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sneaker Impact
What does Sneaker Impact do?
Sneaker Impact collects post-consumer sneakers through consumer Take Back Bags and organizational Take Back Boxes, then grades and sorts them into four tiers at its Miami facility. Wearable pairs (Tiers A/B/C) are resold to a global network of micro-entrepreneurs, while end-of-life pairs (Tier D) are processed through a patent-pending circular material system into rubber, EVA, TPU, and PU granules for industrial supply chains, with CO2e impact reporting for corporate ESG programs.
Is Sneaker Impact a public or private company?
Sneaker Impact is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sneaker Impact founded?
Sneaker Impact was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sneaker Impact based?
Sneaker Impact is headquartered in Miami, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sneaker Impact make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Sneaker Resale to Micro-Entrepreneurs are the primary driver. The others are circular Materials Sales and corporate Collection Services.
Who are Sneaker Impact's main competitors?
StockX is listed as an others. Direct peers are TerraCycle, I:CO (I:Collect / Reverse Logistics Group) and Soex Group. Emerging players are Renewlogy, Patagonia Worn Wear and GreenMantra Technologies. Broad incumbents are Adidas, Rubicon Technologies and Nike Reuse-A-Shoe.
Does Sneaker Impact have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sneaker Impact.
What industry is Sneaker Impact in?
Sneaker Impact's product category is Footwear Recycling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAJAIAD, Sneaker Cleaning & Restoration Services, with a secondary code of HSAJAIAB, Shoe Repair (Cobbler) Services. Its NAICS code is 811430 and its SIC code is 5661.