Why are there shoes on the side of the road

Upon locating a parking place in the City this summer, I maneuvered into curbside position next to a bank of ice plant. Exiting the car, I could not help noticing what seemed to be a pair of shoes a couple feet up the bank. Imagine my bewilderment when on closer inspection these turned out to be almost identical, quite well- used, phosphorescent pink pumps — both left foot. Having traveled behind station wagons with tailgate windows open, I have seen a lone shoe and other odd objects sucked out of the window while driving along.

The people in the vehicles are apparently unaware of the loss, and probably are quite perplexed when the objects are discovered missing. When I lived in Houston, I noticed a large number of single shoes on the highway, on gravel back roads, etc. Often it was quite a feat, retrieving those worn down items in traffic every day, but I did it — I was obsessed, I guess. I started taking Polaroids of the shoes, titling them and noting exactly where they were found. This went on for the better part of a year.

I found that late summer through winter was the best time for adding to the collection. Eventually I accumulated nearly 10 single shoes. People thought I was weird, yes, but none thought so enough to make me abandon the hobby until a young lady came along, the friend of a friend — two friends removed — who discovered among my collection the missing mate to her favorite pair.

For the time being. Years later I moved to New York and for a short time collected single gloves. Should I seek help? In the interest of thoroughly beating the subject into the ground, I should mention that another reader has sent a column from Denver Post reporter Renate Robey, which reads in part:.

Denver street sweeping crews report that they find more single shoes in areas where there are more homeless people. In some neighborhoods, people leave boxes of clothes and shoes in the alley for homeless people who rummage through the alleys. They say a homeless person might be more likely to toss out one worn shoe, but keep the other half of the pair if the shoe is not worn out. It seems that on May 27, , a storm struck the container ship Hansa Carrier in the north Pacific 48 degrees N, W , resulting in — get ready for this — 80, Nike brand shoes being lost overboard.

Ocean scientists immediately began investigating. Yet to be explained is how one of the shoes got from the Pacific coast to Louisville, Kentucky, where it was transformed into the orange work boot spotted by the Straight Dope Field Survey Team last May. Much obviously remains to be learned. Maybe it was the seagulls. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.

By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. The Straight Dope homepage. Filed under:. Why do you always see just one shoe by the side of the road? By Cecil Adams May 29, Share this story Share this on Facebook Share this on Twitter Share All sharing options Share All sharing options for: Why do you always see just one shoe by the side of the road? Reddit Pocket Flipboard Email. Dear Cecil: Can you solve a mystery for us?

Why is it called a restroom, anyway? How did public libraries get started? Thanks for signing up! It is one of the enduring mysteries of modern times: a lone shoe on the highway, abandoned and without its sole mate pun intended. So, how did it get there? It is a question that has seemingly been asked since the times of lone sandals turning up on the streets of ancient Rome. The mystery surrounding abandoned footwear has inspired long Reddit threats and Facebook pages. It has its own Wikipedia page.

We have taken the time to examine a few theories of this phenomenon, but to be completely honest, no one really knows for sure what the deal is with all the shoes on the road. Which do you think is the most plausible? As Lifehacker noted , people are forgetful creatures. You put the shoes on the roof of your car while you unlock the door and stash your bag. You begin to drive off and, wait, where are the shoes?