16,000 Pairs of Shoes Lined Up Together

Heel the world: Incredible time lapse video shows more than 16,000 pairs of shoes lined up together in huge world record attempt — Thousands of shoes of all shapes and sizes, lined up alongside each other heel to toe, you could be forgiven for thinking this was some kind of modern art installation. In fact these startling images are from a new Guinness World Record set by National Geographic Kids magazine for the largest number of shoes collected for recycling in one place as part of their Run for the Planet campaign. Staff at the headquarters in Washington D.C emptied more than 50 gigantic boxes filled with unwanted trainers of all kinds sent by families and children from across America and set a new record of 16,407.

Sole solution: National Geographic collected 16,407 pairs of unwanted shoes to recycle breaking a Guinness World Record. 

Running total: It was the second world record set by National Geographic after they set the record for the most people to run 100 metres in 24 hours with 30,914.

Down at heel: An adjudicator from the Guinness Book of World Records examines shoes at the attempt

But celebrities also contributed to with some famous footwear coming from the likes of Taylor Swift, One Direction, Eli Manning, Danica Patrick, and Amanda Beard.

The athletic shoes will be sent to the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program which recycles shoes into a material used in surfaces like basketball courts and running tracks.

Last year, National Geographic Kids magazine set another Guinness World Record after 30,914 people helped take the title for most people running 100 metres in 24 hours.

National Geographic staff emptied more than 50 boxes full of shoes and arranged them outside their headquarters heel to toe.

All the trainers came from families and children who wanted to make a difference.

Celebrities including Taylor Swift and One Direction contributed to the attempt.

The shoes which will be recycled by Nike into material for athletic surfaces used on basketball pitches and running tracks.