Shoe tree

[jmc]

I have a question I'd like to present to the forum. It's not a life-changing, soul- searching, or even a world- changing question, it's just a product of simple curiosity. I am posting it here because it has a little bit to do with shoes and I've noticed a some members here have some expertise in that subject . More importantly, this forum has members with backgrounds in cultures all over the world so I figure somebody here might know about this. In my travels around the USA I have occasionally noticed a tree in which some number of shoes has been hung -- usually by the laces but if the particular shoe is so equipped, by straps or other means. Sometimes it's a lot of shoes, like in the hundreds while other times it is just a couple dozen. Some look like they have bee thrown up there and looped around a sturdy branch, others look like somebody climbed a ladder and carefully placed them there. The shoes seem to be always in pairs, and in a goodly array of styles. They usually appear to be worn, sometimes heavily -- although some have been there a while and it may be hard to tell. I have seen work boots, sneakers (or trainers for those of you on the other side of the big puddle), sandals, wing tips, klompen (Dutch wooden shoes), hiking boots, and even high heels suspended in such trees. One tree had a pair of ice skates hanging from a branch (I worried about those laces deteriorating to the point where the skates would fall from that tree. That could be dangerous for somebody standing below.) The trees themselves always seem to be old, sturdy maples and they are usually located near a highway. Okay, the question -- Is there some significance to this? I have not been able to find anybody who could tell me anything about this practice -- Is it a custom somewhere? Is it for "good luck" or to ward off evil -- or to leave a mark for posterity? I have a feeling there has to be something interesting behind all this. Thanks.

[BBLoverEric]

You will laugh when you hear the real "meaning". I know it applies at least here, when shoes are on powerlines as well, that it's nothing so important. It's just a mean practical joke, more along the lines of revenge or anger. I person will take another's shoes and just throw them up so that the owner usually can't get them, at least without considerable effort and a little help.

[Dr. Shoe]

There was a time when all shoes being hand made were comparatively expensive and would cost the best part of a weeks' wages. Sometimes if people could afford a new pair before the old pair wore out would put the old pair somewhere where everyone could see them, in a window or above the front door. In some countries (particularly Holland and Germany) they would be hung from a tree near a major road and the more shoes in the tree the more prosperous the village or town.

[sscotty727]

When you see 1 or 2 pair alone, it was probably done as a joke on the owner of the shoes. When you see dozens, it's probably a status thing (I was able to get mine up there, can you get yours up there?). Kinda like the poor mans version of putting your initials on a video game.

[jmc]

Well, either way someone must have had a party under that one tree -- there's a good 50 pairs up there!

[rubberheel]

Interesting! I've never seen such a tree.

[BlondeBimbo]

Not sure if it’s related, but in the UK there was an ancient tradition relating to water courses – from even before the beaker people! People would tie ribbons and other things to trees next to a river – usually at a crossing point, it marked an important place, there people would sacrifice their wealth – usually in the form of swords, cauldrons, jewellery etc.. (An example being when King Arthur threw his sword to the lady of the lake – or to try to get it at least a bit correct when Owain Ddantgwyn cast his sword Caliburn in the water – the “name” Arthur comes from the welsh arth and the Latin ursus both meaning Bear which was the symbol and title of Owain Ddantgwyn) In fact we still do this today, with “Wishing wells” – throw our hard-earned cash into a pool of water! Just ½ mile from my house I go over a small bridge which used to be a major crossing point for the river – here there is a single free-standing tree and it is always covered with ribbons and the like, and has probably been so for centuries. BB

[Dr. Shoe]

Are you into Celtic mythology/history then BB?

[BlondeBimbo]

Sort of Not really Celtic, and certainly not mythology – but that’s the big thing When someone of another religion (say Celtic) talks about their history and stories – then it is classed as mythology – not true of course, but when one speaks of one’s own mythology – it’s all true, and how dare you talk of the bible (sic) like that!! I just feel there is a lot more to history than we know, man has been on the earth for a long time, why only in the last 4 – 5 thousand years have we advanced? It is the case that as we find out more about science, we find out how little we know and how wrong we were – lots of elements now – not just earth, fire, air & water. I think there is enough evidence around which shows 10 – 20 thousand years ago man had discovered so much – how to determine time, distance, the stars etc. – they had maps showing the poles (under the ice) and many other things. Perhaps a lot of this was forgotten – say circa 10,500 BC followed by a phase of re-learning to about 7640 BC (the 7 part commit strike) when again a lot of this was forgotten, with another phase of re-learning, until about 3150 BC (Mediterranean commit strike) – again a loss of knowledge – and we enter the learning phase of today – actually a bit longer than previous phases so perhaps that is why we may have got a bit further? I think most of the mythology and stories we have today are stories of genuine events – somewhat corrupted of course, if people just opened up their minds perhaps we could learn so much. Remember – the Iliad was some fanciful myth – until Troy was discovered, Odysseus could not possibly have travelled where it was said, but now we know the coast and places described in the Odyssey did actually look like that in his time! - We realise that his fanciful meeting with the giant Cyclops – a single eyed giant which caused the water to froth & boil, and threw burning fireballs does actually sound like the best explanation for people who had never seen a volcano eruption! – Oh & by the way – there was a known eruption in the area described by Homer at the time described. My big theory is that man advances until some natural disaster around every 3-4000 years or so, at which point so much is lost – no calendar – nuclear style winter etc. so a big step back in knowledge, after which it is re-built etc. etc. BB

[jim]

Well I've never seen a shoe tree before but down here there is something just as strange .....and it's become quite an attraction.

A New Zealand farmer is resisting demands to take down hundreds of women's bras adorning a fence on his South Island property.

The idea was born five years ago when four women from the nearby town of Wanaka returning home from a night at the pub removed their bras and strung them up.

Since then, local sheep farmer John Lee has become the unofficial guardian of the site.

Women passers-by have since added their own to the fence, gaining it worldwide publicity.

Now authorities in the Wanaka District are to spend thousands of dollars on road works to cater for the thousands of passing motorists who stop to photograph the "Bra Fence."

jim