The Secret Life of Shoes

At first glance, they look kind of funky. A pair of shoes, with laces tied together, hang from overhead wires. It was not the first time I had seen footwear flung onto overhead electrical cables. Many towns and cities across Canada have them and the reasons why they are tossed to that height are as varied as the shoes themselves.

According the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, shoe flinging or "shoefiti" is the practice of throwing shoes with their laces tied together at the wires until they stick. The attention-grabbing performance hits its mark when drug dealers recognize their specific location as a territory claim and a message that the hanging shoes mark the setting of a drug den. 

Another possible explanation could be bullying in which an intimidator steals a pair of shoes and puts them in a position where the victim cannot reach.

They are not welcome in my Adopt-a-Block neighbourhood, which includes the intersection of 4th Avenue and Dogwood Street. I’ve claimed that location to 2nd Avenue on Dogwood Street as my terrain and contact whomever necessary to have shoes removed, graffiti painted over and discarded pieces of furniture taken away. In the case of the mysterious hanging shoes, I first contacted the City of Campbell River Dogwood Operations at 250-286-4033, and explained the situation. They kindly sent out an observer who said the specific cable belonged to Telus. I called the Telus Repairs Department at 866-415-8105, clarified the circumstance, after which they provided me a ticket number and a solemn promise that the offending sneakers would be removed in three days.

According to Barbara and David P. Mikkelson, who describe the secret language of sneakers in their blog, they conclude that it is a legend and the purpose of shoe tossing has no one right answer. 

The Hanging Shoes Mystery