A high-stepping record

The National Geographic campus on M Street Northwest was the site of a Guiness World Record on Wednesday with the longest chain of shoes: 10,512 to be precise. The sea of footwear, laid toe to heel on the institution’s circular driveway, was sent in by readers of National Geographic Kids magazine over the course of six months and certified as a bona fide record by Guinness World Records representative Stuart Claxton.

In addition to a certificate, Mr. Claxton delivered a hearty handshake to third-grader Peter Wajda, 8, of Mount Laurel, N.J., for his efforts in collecting more than 500 shoes from his school, Moorestown Friends School. The shoes will be forwarded to Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program to be made into material for sports field surfaces.

Photographs & text by Allison Shelley.