Port Vale Academy recently welcomed Crep Protect to their Vale Park home for a sustainability workshop with the club’s first-year apprentices, continuing the ongoing partnership between the Staffordshire club and the industry-leading trainer care brand.
In a sporting world where boots and trainers are often treated as disposable, the workshop encouraged the apprentices to adopt a more sustainable mindset. During the session, the under-18s learned practical cleaning and restoration techniques using the full Crep Protect product range. Research shows that proper shoe care can significantly extend the life of footwear, with stain protection treatments increasing a shoe’s lifespan by an average of 25% compared to untreated shoes.
In today’s market, where trainers and football boots have become a major expense for young people and their families, most elite-level football boots alone cost, on average, between £220 and £280, while lasting only five to ten months with regular use. The techniques and skills acquired in the workshop will go a long way in saving Port Vale’s youth team players valuable money.
The project teaches more than just shoe cleaning; it encourages:
- Pride and responsibility in caring for personal belongings
- Environmental awareness in a “throwaway” society
- Money-saving habits to support life as a young footballer
- Practical entrepreneurial skills through restoration and resale
After the workshop, Crep Protect’s Jack Jobling, who delivered the session, said: “It’s a key life skill around sustainability. It’s a really important skill set to have, and it means they won’t need to keep going out and buying new boots and trainers every six months.”
The club’s partnership with Crep Protect has also raised money for the Douglas Macmillan Hospice, which provides hospice services for local people with life-limiting conditions in the Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire area. The hospice and Crep Protect have been donating a regular supply of pre-loved footwear to the young Valiants, who in return have been restoring them using the shoe care brand’s products and then reselling them to raise funds for the hospice. This commendable initiative has already raised an incredible £2,000, with the club aiming to surpass £5,000 in total by the end of the year.
Discussing the project, Academy and Foundation Tutor at the club, Robert Hare, said: “Teaching life skills goes far beyond the classroom, and our partnership with Crep Protect has given us the perfect platform to show both our academy and first-team players how small actions can make a big environmental impact. With millions of pairs of trainers ending up in landfill every year, initiatives like this extend the lifespan of boots and trainers, keeping them looking and smelling fresh while reducing waste.
“Seeing footballers champion the message has made the project even more engaging, and the workshops have been fantastic – hands-on, fun, and genuinely eye-opening for the players. Crep Protect have been brilliant supporters not only of our foundation but also local charities such as Dougie Mac, where together we’ve helped raise over £2,000. It’s proof that when education, community, and sustainability come together, real change happens.”
Head of Education Matthew Meredith added: “Our collaboration with Crep Protect has created an exciting and practical life skills experience for our younger scholars, helping them understand both product care and environmental responsibility. Far too many trainers – thousands every day – are discarded long before they need to be, ending up in landfill and contributing to a growing waste problem. By showing players how simple care routines and recycling initiatives can extend the life of their boots and trainers, we’re actively reducing that statistic, and other football clubs across the country could easily replicate this impact.
“At club level, our next aim is to educate our younger players and create more meaningful life skills with practical elements, supporting a greener future.”
