Abandoned footwear
Abandoned footwear, generally a lone boot or shoe, is frequently noted in ponds and along roadsides (particularly highways). It is not known why old shoes and boots seem to be publicly abandoned more often than other articles of clothing, such as shirts or caps. While the practice of publicly abandoning old shoes has been noted in multiple countries (including Great Britain[1]), it does not seem to have any set meaning attached to it[2], and may be a simple form of imitation. It is possible that shoes, being more sturdily constructed than most other types of clothing, simply last longer after being abandoned outdoors. (Leather shoes, for instance, are estimated to last for 25-40 years outside.[3]) However, this hypothesis is argued against by the commoness of obviously intentional shoe abandonment, such as shoe tossing, in which shoes are tied together by their laces and thrown in great numbers into shoe trees, over power lines, or over fences[4].
In Popular Culture
- A fisherman hauling up an old boot, rather than a fish, is an old comic-strip joke.
See also
External links
- Shoes on the Highway (book): A drama teacher uses roadside shoes to inspire student art.
- 33 photos of shoes on the highway, by the author of "Shoes on the Highway."
- Flickr photos: footwear abandoned by the side of the road, on sidewalks, and elsewhere.
- About Shoe Friends, a British group dedicated to keeping people from abandoning or binning their shoes.
- Wichita Eagle article about shoe abandonment (google cache).