Shoes along highways? Why

[Stuart G]

Why do people throw shoes along the highway? I see this all the time. Is there something to it?

[zanne]

1. I second that question!

Every once in a while, I'll see ONE shoe on the side of the road. Even in my neighborhood, which has a "party place", I sometimes get a shoe on my lawn. WTH?

[last_texas_dem]

2. Definitely a gang sign.

Nah, I'm just kidding. I have noticed this before, too, and wondered if it meant anything. Your post made me think of something I read on Snopes a few years back re: the meaning of shoes slung over power lines, where one of the common interpretations (and one I had heard growing up) was that the shoes were meant to be a gang sign!

http://www.snopes.com/crime/gangs/sneakers.asp

[callous taoboy]

3. My soft-in-the-head theory-

Guy goes to his car dressed for work, has his nice work shoes on but is carrying his running shoes for after work at the health club. His hands being quite full, he puts running shoes on roof of car in order to unlock car door. Gets in car forgetting about running shoes on roof. Rubber souls of running shoes adhere to the roof of car for the duration of his drive through the neighborhood, but as soon as he gets on freeway the force of the wind blows first one shoe off, and several miles later the other shoe is blown off. So there you go. It's happening right now all over the country.

[zanne]

4. Finally! An intelligent explanation of the shoe phenomenon! nt

[arcadian]

5. That's it exactly

I used to hitch-hike in Yellowstone National Park quite a bit and I can't tell you how many cameras I found on the side of the road. Mostly smashed.

[Stuart G]

6. I can almost understand cameras, but shoes?

Is it some kind of shoe thingie?

[Blue Diadem]

12. That makes sense. The shoes I see on the side of the road are usually in good shape.

compared to shoes tied together and thrown over power lines.

[callous taoboy]

7. I lost one of my friend's shoes one drunken night

He had a nice pair of dress shoes on the passenger side floor and when I crawled into the car my foot must've knocked one of his shoes out before I closed the door. This was a bar parking lot. We drove out the next day after we discovered one of his shoes missing and there that bad boy was right in the middle of the lot.

[BarenakedLady]

8. I always wonder about that too.

[Parche]

11. Because The Highway Needs A Sole?

[Debi]

9. Embarrassing but true story

When my ex-husband and I were dating I picked him up at his house to spend the night at mine, he brought a change of clothes for the following day. During the drive we got into an argument and I was so (crazy!) mad that I stopped the car, threw all his clothes (and shoes) out, drove off w/him standing in the street. Of course I calmed down in seconds and drove back to pick him up (he started walking, leaving everything in the street). We went back to pick up his clothes and *the shoes were missing*.

[Deja Q]

10. Well, they're too busy to park the car on the side before shagging, therefore they DWU

Drive While Undressing

[kick-ass-bob]

13. What about the shoes over the power line thing?

And don't say it's a gang symbol...

[Deja Q]

15. Superman was drunk and tripped?

[jobycom]

16. .

[Sequoia]

14. And why is it usually just one shoe?

[flvegan]

17. Recommended!

This is DU Think-Tankery at its finest!

[behave]

18. And what about socks nobody mentions the socks Why?

[jobycom]

20. omg commas no one uses commas what are you saying?

Sorry.

[jobycom]

19. The Highway Troll requires his tribute.

You pays your dues, or you pays your dues.

[Lars39]

21. Some people try to wedge their shoes in the space between

the truck bed and the cab. Sometimes works, sometimes doesn't.