Shoe tossing

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Evidence of shoe tossing in Edmonton, Alberta
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Evidence of shoe tossing in Edmonton, Alberta

Shoe tossing is the act of throwing a pair of shoes onto telephone wires, powerlines, or other raised wires. A related practice is shoe tossing onto trees or fences. Shoe tossing has been observed in areas of the United States, Canada, Britain[1],Norway, Australia, and New Zealand.

Some people have been killed by electrocution while trying to remove shoes from power lines. Utilities have asked the public to call them instead of trying to remove the shoes themselves.

This practice is sometimes viewed as illegal, and punishable under laws pertaining to littering. The shoes can be dangerous when placing extra weight on service lines, and this may be punishable under laws regarding disruption of public services.

Contents

[edit] Meaning

Various theories of the meaning of the practice:

  • personal artistic expression (ie: "just because")
  • to indicate areas where drug dealers operate (also known as 'drug shoes')
  • celebration of a person's loss of virginity
  • celebration of a wedding or honeymoon
  • pranks and jokes played against the owner of the shoes
  • graduation celebrations
  • gang sign, or memorial for slain gang member.
  • derived from army practice of throwing boots over wires when leaving a base or post.

[edit] Occurrences in movies

  • There is a scene in Tim Burton's film Big Fish where a man's shoes are thrown on a powerline.
  • The 1997 movie Wag the Dog contains several scenes where old shoes are thrown onto trees and telephone lines in support of a supposed war hero.
  • In The Sandlot 2 after David Durango, one of the main characters, gets a pair of Nike shoes he throws his old pair onto the powerlines.
  • In Stick It during the introductory annimation.

[edit] Occurrences in relation to books

  • Tossed shoes appear on the cover design of the Russian translation of D. S. LLiteras' novel "In the Heart of Things."

[edit] See also

[edit] External links


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