Kings want old sneakers for new arena court

The Kings plan to collect used athletic shoes from Kings legends, current players and fans for new arena court.

Old sneakers can live on as a small—and ground up—bit of Sacramento’s new arena.

As part of the sustainable efforts in play throughout the construction of the new Golden1 Center, the Kings will use ground up basketball shoes as part of the foam-cushioning layer under the arena’s new court.

And the Kings want fans to help out.

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​The Kings plan to collect used athletic shoes from Kings legends and current players, but also want shoes from fans, asking them to bring a used pair to Sleep Train Arena on Jan. 13 when the Kings host the Pelicans. The Kings want fans to write a special message on the shoes prior to donation.

“Golden1 Center will set a new standard for how we think about our environment and sustainability,” Chris Granger, Kings president, says in a statement. “This program represents yet another unique opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to conservation while also engaging our fans by giving them an opportunity to be part of our court’s DNA.”

The Kings and court manufacturer Connor Sports will include a number of recycled materials in the court-making process, the first of these being the donated shoes. Before installation, the sneakers will get turned into a rubber grind and combined with Nike Grind to create the foam support.

Oh, since this is Sacramento and not Los Angeles, the Kings kindly ask fans refrain from donating any shoes from the Kobe line.

Tim Newcomb covers stadiums, sneakers and technology for Sports Illustrated. Follow him on Twitter at @tdnewcomb.