Posted on 07/25/2024 11:40:31 AM PDT by Red Badger
Top tip: don’t yeet your sneakers over a power line if you want to wear them again.
Image credit: Alex Farias / Shutterstock.com
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Ever been out walking and spotted a pair of sneakers slung over a power line? It’s not an uncommon sight, and with good reason.
Shoe tossing – or shoefiti – is done all over the globe and for all sorts of reasons, so let’s dive into some of the most common theories behind this seemingly counterintuitive behavior.
Memorial
Humans have been memorializing the dead for millennia, with graves and burial sites dating back as far as the Neanderthals (though some of that may have been the work of bees). Since then, we’ve come up with all sorts of ways to remember lost loved ones, from Memento Mori to hanging shoes on powerlines.
The practice has the potential to backfire, however, particularly in the case of a TikTokker who angered people after posting a now-deleted video where they cut down hanging shoes to sell. The stunt was criticized online for being “insensitive” after the user said, “When you see shoes on power lines, you might think of gang territory, but what I think of is profits,” tapping into a common legend about shoe tossing.
Territory
One of the more dramatic theories behind shoe tossing is that it’s a marker of “gang activity”, marking territory or communicating messages, such as where people can buy drugs. Our old debunking pals at Snopes have labeled this theory a Legend, because, simply, there’s no one answer as to why people toss shoes over power lines.
However, just because something isn’t a universal sign of gang activity doesn’t mean that’s never the case. As WBEZ Chicago found out when they spoke to Missouri state prison inmate Patrick Starr, once a high-ranking member of the Bloods gang. “To us in Kansas City it was about your crew and y’all marking your neighborhood.” According to Starr, other inmates from Chicago and St Louis “said that represented guys who were killed from each neighborhood.”
It seems unless you’re there in the moment, it's unlikely you'll ever know the true motivation behind shoefiti. There is, however, one explanation that most of us can relate to.
Taunting
If you’re old enough to have endured high school, this one likely won’t be surprising. In the United States, the standard utility pole is around 10 meters (35 feet) tall, making them a great place to toss someone’s sneakers if you really want to piss them off, being both too high to reach, as well as really dangerous.
Wearing rubber gloves or rubber-soled shoes can’t protect you from electrocution from powerlines, according to Austin Energy. So, if some dumbass tosses your shoes over a power line, do not try to get them back.
Wayward sneakers can hold all kinds of meaning and information, and in the case of marine forensics, those found sailing with human feet still inside can have a lot to say...
All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text, images, and links may be edited, removed, or added to at a later date to keep information current.
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Because shoes are very depressed. Can you imagine going through life with people walking all over you?
Actually, the idea of Memento Mori is not to remember lost loved ones, but to keep in mind always our own eventual deaths, that someday we too will leave this world and we should live our lives accordingly.
Cool. Now do panties and bras on ski lift trees.
Panties and bras on ski lift trees.
The practice of decorating trees with bras and panties near ski lifts is a unique aspect of ski culture. The tradition is believed to have originated in the late 1970s or early 1980s at Aspen Mountain in Colorado, with the first reported instance under the Bell Mountain chairlift.
Initially, the panties were hung as a playful gesture, often in protest or as a joke. Over time, the tradition spread to other ski resorts, including Vail, where the first panty tree was found chopped down in 1997, only to be replaced by another tree. The practice has since become a beloved and iconic part of the ski experience.
Reasons Behind the Tradition
While the original purpose of the panty trees has been lost to time, several theories have emerged:
Protest: One theory suggests that the first panty tree was a protest against the Aspen Skiing Co. Vice President, with the bra bearing his name.
Humor: Another theory proposes that the tradition began as a lighthearted joke, with the bras and panties serving as a playful surprise for fellow skiers.
Ski Culture: Some argue that the panty trees represent a way to maintain a sense of community and playfulness within the ski culture, which has been threatened by commercialization.
Current State
Today, panty trees can be found at various ski resorts in the United States and Canada. While some resorts have seen a decline in the tradition, others continue to thrive. The practice has also evolved, with some resorts featuring a mix of bras, panties, and other items like Mardi Gras beads and boots.
Interesting Facts
According to veteran Aspen Mountain ski patroller Tim Cooney, the first panty tree was decorated with a robust nursing bra.
The tradition has been featured in advertisements, including a 2005 liqueur company commercial showcasing the Sun Down Bowl tree in Vail.
Some ski resorts have considered replacing traditional bras and panties with more inclusive items, such as men’s underwear, to promote equality.
You see them all over the west and south sides of Chicago. Most of the regulars already know where to buy dope, but the customers who come from the suburbs initially need some direction.
It’s how gangs mark their turf, 100%.
Tennies from Heaven.
now, now. The illegals are just raping the women and children that Americans refuse to rape - G W MORON
Because they’re ugly shoes.
“Our old debunking pals at Snopes... “
Stopped reading right there.
Snopes is owned by a new owner now...........
That’s what I thought. Someone had an old pair of sneakers and didn’t know what to do with them.
Really?! I'll have to see some improvement to believe it's an upgrade.
Well, they did change the Hunter Biden laptop story from Russian disinformation to real.................
At Wildcat Mtn in NH across from Mt Washington it was the panties on the tree at the top of the TWO PERSON GONDOLA.
This was an old slow gondola that took about twenty minutes to get to the top.
The tradition was the lady tossed her panties at the top to signify she and her boyfriend had gotten laid on the trip up to the top.
Unfortunately, it was eventually replaced by a high speed quad chair lift.
There was a time where a soldier getting ready to go home from overseas would toss a pair of boots up on the powerlines outside the barracks as a goodbye gesture. I remember seeing it a lot as a kid growing up in/around the army.
ABSOLUTELY -—AND NOT A “NEW” THING
I thought it was because of the movie Big Fish (filmed near me and also the debut of Miley Cyrus in her more innocent days...sigh)...lol
Or just graduating AF Tech School, and PCSing to another base. I remember some shoes tossed over a power line near a place I lived in Eugene. A new pair would appear once in a while, and one day, some ice skates.
I’ve always wanted to see a pair up there with the guy still wearing them hanging upside down....
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