If not, someone like Lindsay Hladik could put the pair to good use.

With help from her classmates at Maple Avenue Middle School, Hladik, recently collected more than 200 pairs of “gently used” shoes for needy people in the Appalachian Mountains. The eighth-grader said the endeavor was done for her church.

“I thought it would be a good project for me and my friends in school to be involved in,” she said. “I think it's very important to help out people who are less fortunate.”

Home and Careers teacher Danielle Curran said Hladik approached her about the shoe drive, and an announcement was made in each of her classes. Curran also agreed to store the shoes in her room.

“The kids thought it was a great idea,” Curran said. The teacher estimated that approximately 100 students were involved in the shoe drive.

The shoe drive ran from Oct. 23-29. At the end of the last day Hladik’s parents loaded the bags of shoes into their truck and brought them over to St. Mary's Church in Ballston Spa.

Curran said she was stunned by the results of the shoe drive. She had anticipated collecting about 50 pairs of shoes.

Community involvement is an integral part of Curran’s classes. Though her students have made things such as teddy bears, head scarves and pillows for people ranging from the homeless to the ill to the elderly, this was the first shoe drive she's been involved in.

By donating their extra shoes, Curran believes the kids got a better idea of what reality is like for many folks. She added that this was also a good lesson in what constitutes as a want versus a need.

“There are a lot of people out there struggling,” Curran said. “Something like this gives the kids a better understanding of just how lucky and privileged they really are.”