The 'In Your Shoes' recycling and redistribution program, now in its second year, was launched by Melbourne-based charity Kids off the Kerb last year.

Students from 13 schools collected their unwanted shoes to be passed on to people in need.

This year - with the help of a group of eager Melbourne University students who helped expand the program - 'In Your Shoes' has enlisted about 50 schools, including Greenvale Primary School, where 420 pairs have been collected over the past three weeks.

Kids off the Kerb chairman Nathan Stirling said he was impressed with the response from schools.

"The aim is two-fold - it has the environmental objective to try and divert these sorts of materials from landfill.

"And we can help charities locally if they want the shoes or we can export them overseas to countries that need them."

Mr Stirling said the shoe collections also created opportunities for employing disadvantaged youths through environmental projects or employment as drivers to collect the shoes.

Greenvale Primary School social services co-ordinator Sujata Baskaran said five senior students at her school had co-ordinated the shoe collection.

"It was a whole community effort - we put it in the newsletter, mentioned it at assembly and put posters around the school."

Grade 6 pupils Jessie Dombrzalski and Lauren Peters also gave a speech to their fellow students about the importance of the program.

"I think the program was important because less fortunate people don't have this sort of stuff," Jessie said. "It felt nice to give someone else that opportunity."

Details: www.inyourshoes.com.au