Spatializing the Circular Economy: Firm-Level Evidence and Socio-Demographic Factors within a National Post-Consumer Sneaker Network

Post-consumer footwear constitutes a highly heterogeneous and minimally circular segment of the consumer goods economy. Although the sector has a substantial environmental footprint, empirical research on post-consumer footwear collection and reverse logistics remains limited. This study contributes to circular economy scholarship by showing that post-consumer sneaker collection depends largely on intermediary capacity, territorial coordination, and robust reverse-logistics infrastructure. Using a novel, spatially granular shipment dataset (2024-2025) covering hundreds of U.S. ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs), the analysis examines the spatial organization, temporal dynamics, and persistence of a national post-consumer sneaker collection network managed by Sneaker Impact. By integrating shipment records with American Community Survey data, the research identifies the socio-demographic factors associated with participation in reverse logistics systems. The findings indicate spatial heterogeneity and significant variation in participation frequency, alongside a modest core of recurrently active locations. Aggregate throughput growth mainly coincided with an increase in the number of active ZCTAs, while average shipment activity per active ZCTA changed little, though these patterns remain confounded by unobserved organizational outreach. Community circular participation exhibits modest socio-demographic stratification. Among the variables examined, educational attainment is the strongest and most consistent correlate of shipment activity, while income shows a slight negative association when controlling for educational attainment. However, socio-demographic characteristics explain only a limited share of the variation in shipment activity, suggesting that organizational and infrastructural factors also play an important role in shaping collection performance. The findings indicate that circular collection networks for composite consumer goods exhibit spatial disparities, with participation shaped by community characteristics, intermediary coordination, and access to collection infrastructure.