Shoe tossing
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221508367
2008-06-24T20:30:38Z
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/* In the Arab world: a gesture of contempt */
[[Image:Shoe-tossing-silhouette.jpg|thumb|350 px|Evidence of shoe tossing in [[Edmonton]], [[Alberta]]]]
'''Shoe tossing''' (or '''shoe flinging'''), the act of using shoes as improvised [[projectile]]s or [[weapon]]s, is a constituent of a number of [[folklore|folk]] [[sport]]s and practices. Today, it is commonly the act of throwing a pair of [[shoes]] onto telephone wires, powerlines, or other raised wires. A related practice is shoe tossing onto [[tree]]s or [[fence]]s. Shoe tossing has been observed in areas of the [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[UK|Britain]], [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]], [[Argentina]], [[Mexico]], [[Ecuador]] and [[Ireland]].
== In the Arab world: a gesture of contempt ==
In the [[Arab]] world, '''shoe flinging''' is a gesture of extreme disrespect. A notable occurrence of this gesture happened in [[Baghdad]], [[Iraq]] in [[2003]]. When [[United States|U.S.]] forces pulled down a giant statue of [[Saddam Hussein]] during the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]], many Iraqi detractors of Hussein threw their shoes at the fallen statue.
This may be an ancient [[gesture]] from the Middle East; [[Psalms]] 60:10, speaking of some of the traditional enemies of [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]], says that "[[Moab]] ''is'' my washpot; over [[Edom]] will I cast out my shoe...." ([[King James Version of the Bible|KJV]])
The shoe represents the lowest part of the body (the [[foot]]) and displaying or throwing a shoe at someone or something in Arab cultures denotes that the person or thing is "beneath them." Showing the bottom of one's feet or shoes (for example, putting one's feet up on a table or desk) in Arab cultures is considered an extreme insult. Examples include Iraqi citizens smacking torn-down posters of Saddam Hussein with their shoes, and the depiction of [[President of the United States]] [[George H. W. Bush]] on a tile mosaic of the floor of the [[Al-Rashid Hotel]]'s lobby, forcing all visitors entering the hotel to walk on Bush's face to enter the hotel.
== Shoes hung from overhead wires ("shoefiti") ==
{{Unreferencedsection|date=May 2008}}
[[Image:Shoes in telephone wire.jpg|thumb|Shoes hanging from a telephone wire in [[Gothenburg]], [[Sweden]]]]
'''Shoe flinging''' or "'''shoefiti'''" is the [[United States of America|American]] and [[Canada|Canadian]] practice of throwing shoes whose [[shoelace]]s have been tied together so that they hang from overhead [[wire]]s such as [[electric power transmission|power line]]s or [[telephone]] cables. The shoes are tied together by their laces, and the pair is then thrown at the wires as a sort of [[bolas]]. This practice plays a widespread, though mysterious, role in [[adolescent]] [[folklore]] in the United States. Shoe flinging has also been reported in [[Australia]], [[Sweden]], [[France]] and [[Norway]].
Shoe flinging occurs throughout the United States, in rural as well as in urban areas. Usually, the shoes flung at the wires are [[Sneaker (footwear)|sneakers]]; elsewhere, especially in rural areas, many different varieties of shoes, including [[leather]] shoes and [[boot]]s, also are thrown.
A number of sinister explanations have been proposed as to why this is done. Some say that shoes hanging from the wires advertise a local crack house where [[crack cocaine]] is used and sold (in which case the shoes are sometimes referred to as "Crack Tennies"). It can also relate to a place where Heroin is sold to symbolize the fact that once you take Heroin you can never 'leave': a reference to the addictive nature of the drug. Others claim that the shoes so thrown commemorate a [[gang]]-related [[murder]], or the death of a gang member, or as a way of marking gang turf.<ref>{{cite web
|url= http://www.snopes.com/crime/gangs/sneakers.htm
|title= The Secret Language of Sneakers
|accessdate= 2007-06-15
|author=
|last= Mikkelson
|first= Barbara
|authorlink= Barbara Mikkelson
|coauthors=
|date= 1999-04-12
|work= Urban Legends Reference Pages ([[snopes.com]])
}}</ref> A newsletter from the mayor of [[Los Angeles, California]] cites fears of many Los Angeles residents that "these shoes indicate sites at which drugs are sold or worse yet, gang turf," and that city and utility employees had launched a program to remove the shoes.<ref>{{cite web
|url= http://www.lacity.org/mayor/teamworkla/newsletters/teamworkla_intrnewsletters72311897_06102003.pdf
|title= East Los Angeles NSC Combats Problem of Overhead Shoes on Wires
|accessdate= 2007-06-15
|author= TeamWork LA
|year= c. 2003
|format= PDF
|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20031007130106/http://www.lacity.org/mayor/teamworkla/newsletters/teamworkla_intrnewsletters72311897_06102003.pdf
|archivedate=2003-10-07}}</ref> These explanations have the ring of [[urban legend]] to them, especially since the practice also occurs along relatively remote stretches of rural highways that are unlikely scenes for gang murders or crack houses.
Other, less sinister, explanations have been ventured for the practice. Some{{who}} claim that shoes are flung to commemorate the end of a [[school]] year, or a forthcoming [[marriage]] as part of a [[rite of passage]]. In [[Scotland]], it has been said that when a young man has lost his virginity he tosses his shoes over telephone wires to announce this to his peers{{Fact|date=March 2008}}. It has been suggested that the custom may have originated with members of the [[military]], who are said to have thrown military boots, often painted orange or some other conspicuous color, at overhead wires as a part of a rite of passage upon completing [[basic training]] or on leaving the service.{{Fact|date=March 2008}} Others claim that the shoes are stolen from other people and tossed over the wires as a sort of [[bullying]] tactic, or as a [[practical joke]] played on [[drunkenness|drunkards]].{{Fact|date=March 2008}} Others simply say that shoe flinging is a way to get rid of shoes that are no longer wanted, are uncomfortable, or do not fit.{{Fact|date=March 2008}} It may also be another manifestation of the human instinct to [[territorial marking|leave their mark on]], and decorate, their surroundings.{{Fact|date=March 2008}}
In the [[motion picture]] ''[[Wag the Dog]]'', a [[spin doctor]] flings shoes into trees as a part of a campaign to call attention to a fictional [[war hero]] named Sergeant William Schumann, who was given the [[nickname]] "The Old Shoe." In another motion picture, ''[[Like Mike]]'', a character is struck by [[lightning]] in an attempt to retrieve shoes from a power line, and improbably acquires [[superpower]]s as a result.
Shoe flinging may cause utility outages, as the weight of the dangling shoes can disrupt the power line. In addition, people{{who}} have been killed by [[electric shock|electrocution]] while trying to remove shoes from [[electric power transmission|power line]]s. [[Utilities]] have asked the public to call them instead of trying to remove the shoes themselves.
In some neighborhoods, shoes tied together and hanging from power lines or tree branches signify that someone has died. The shoes belong to the dead person. The reason they are hanging, legend has it, is that when the dead person's spirit returns, it will walk that high above the ground, that much closer to heaven.{{Fact|date=June 2007}}
Another superstition holds that the tossing of shoes over the power lines outside of a house is a way to keep the property safe from ghosts. Yet another legend involves that shoes hanging from telephone wires signals someone leaving the neighborhood onto bigger and better things.
===Occurrences in movies===
{{Cleanup-laundry|date=January 2008}}
* There is a scene in [[Tim Burton]]'s film ''[[Big Fish]]'' where a man's shoes are thrown on a power line.
* 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, Inc.|Nike]] shoes he throws his old pair onto the power lines.
*In ''[[Stick It]]'' during the introductory animation.
* In ''[[Freedom Writers]]'' there is a brief shot where a pair of sneakers is shown thrown over a power line in Long Beach.
* In ''[[Like Mike]]'', a pair of shoes is tossed onto power lines. The film's protagonist retrieves the shoes, receiving an electric shock in the process. As a result, he is endowed with the talent of the pairs' previous owner.
* In ''[[The Savages (film)]]'' Jon Savage drives under a power line with many old shoes while singing [[Opera]].
==Shoe tree==
[[Image:Quail 11 bg 041506.jpg|thumb|The Shoe Tree in Morley Field, San Diego.<ref>
The Shoe Tree in Frisbee Playground, Morley Field, San Diego fell down (allegedly on 1/7/2008, confirmed on 1/8/2008), caused by a long period of rain.</ref>]]
A '''Shoe tree''', not to be confused with the shoe-preservation device [[Shoe tree|of the same name]], is a [[tree]] (or, occasionally, a powerline pole or other wooden object) that has been festooned with old shoes. Shoe trees are generally located alongside a major local thoroughfare, and may have a theme (such as [[high-heeled shoe]]s). There are currently at least seventy-six such shoe trees in the United States,<ref>Roadside America. Search results for "shoe tree." http://www.roadsideamerica.com/roger/QueryTips.php3?tip_AttractionName=shoe+tree&tip_Town=&tip_State=&Submit=Find </ref> and an undetermined number elsewhere.
== Competitive boot throwing ==
'''Boot throwing''' has been a competitive sport in [[New Zealand]] for many years, although not one that is taken very seriously. [[Gumboots]] or [[Wellington boots]] are the heavy rubber boots worn by most farm workers and many other outdoor workers. A competition to see who can throw a gumboot the furthest is a feature of many Agricultural Field Days in the rural communities. The town of [[Taihape]] in the central [[North Island]] is particularly identified with this sport; they claim to be the Gum Boot Throwing Capital of New Zealand. They hold an annual competition in the main street and award a Golden Gumboot as the trophy; see [[Wellie wanging]].
Since [[2003]] the sport has been practiced competitively in [[Eastern Europe]]. The [[2004]] World Championship Competition was won by Germany who is hosting the [[2005]] Competition at [[Döbeln]]. Apparently teams are also expected from [[Sweden]], [[Estonia]] and [[Russia]].
==See also==
*[[Abandoned footwear]]
*[[Folklore]]
*[[Overhead powerline]]
*[[Telegraph post]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
* [[Cecil Adams|''The Straight Dope'']] on [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_274.html shoe flinging].
* [http://www.snopes.com/crime/gangs/sneakers.htm ''The Secret Language of Sneakers''] at [[snopes.com]].
* [http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/09/26/1064083166229.html?from=storyrhs Why do people throw their old shoes onto overhead wires]? Attests and attempts to explain the custom in Australia.
==External links==
*[http://www.shoefiti.com/ Site dedicated to "shoefiti"]
*[http://www.bdb.co.za/shackle/articles/fences.htm New Zealand shoe throwing]
*[http://www.gosleepgo.com/guide/us/or/juntura/shoe-tree Shoe tree] in [[Juntura, Oregon]] from GoSleepGo
*[http://www.snopes.com/crime/gangs/sneakers.htm Urban legend]
*[http://www.roadsideamerica.com/set/shoetrees2.html Roadside America's article on shoe trees]
*[http://newcastlephotos.blogspot.com/2005/12/armstrong-park.html Shoe Tree in Armstrong Park, Newcastle in its post council cut down state]
*[http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?id=847&event=shoes Shoes in Santa Barbara]
*[http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2003/04/21/38692 University of Minn. campus shoe tree]
*[http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2006/08/09/68675 Musings on meaning of shoe tree]
[[Category:American folklore]]
[[Category:Shoes]]
[[Category:Children's games]]
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