Our Story
About Us
Our Mission
At Next Step Shoes, we collect and distribute gently-worn shoes to underserved individuals and Houstonians experiencing homelessness. We partner with local organizations, schools, and passionate people to transform donated shoes into meaningful opportunities for comfort, safety, and connection. We believe that every person deserves to take their Next Step forward and tell their story - with confidence, dignity, and hope.
924,000
nine-hundred twenty-four
hundred thousand
Houstonians
live under
the poverty line.
*** U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-Year 2023 Estimates
Homeless Population
Trends in Homelessness.
The Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County (CFTH’s 2025 Point in Time (PIT) Count for the Houston area shows a 9.1% raise in the number of homeless individuals since 2021. Nationally, the number of people experiencing homelessness saw a 32.9% increase over four years (US Census Bureau, 2024).
Year
3,325
Total number of people experiencing homelessness in Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties.
Our Values
Dignity
We honor the inherent worth of every person by meeting their essential needs with compassion, respect, and care.
Community
We believe that real impact happens when people come together - creating networks of support to uplift every individual in our community.
Service
We are committed to acting with empathy and showing up for those in need of a helping hand and an act of kindness.
38.6% of Homeless Houstonians are unsheltered.
Over 1/3 of homeless Houstonians are exposed to outside elements, making their ability to protect themselves from bodily harm all the more important.
Next Step Shoes aims to provide these people with the means to protect themselves.