Portland being Portland, it’s not unusual to see pairs of shoes dangling from overhead wires. I imagine the fun some jokers had flinging footwear in the air until one of them got lucky. Somewhere in Northeast, where I live, I once saw high-heels similarly perched above the middle of a street, string looped around the heels.
Dangling shoes probably represent a secret code that I’m not hip to. . . an anarchist cabal’s communiques or a notice that on this block the really cool people reside.
Thinking about this prompted me to Google the expression “shoes dangling from wires.” I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that a global shoe-dangling fixation appears to be spreading. Theories abound, as do of photos showing the creativity of this “art.” My favorite pictures are here and here. And, naturally, there’s a buzz word — shoefiti— and a web site by that name, featuring everything anyone would possibly want to know about the practice.
But what’s the meaning of a pair of black Converse All-Stars abandoned on a sidewalk along busy Northeast Broadway? A few days ago the shoes were positioned on either side of a metal pole, as if the wearer had been hugging it. When I came back with my camera, the shoes were gone.
My dear, blogging was invented for people like you. Glad you finally did this, and you put so many to shame immediately (including me).
I agree with “Wife” 100%. You’ll have a large following before you know it.