A pair of old sneakers, boots, or flip-flops hanging from a power line — swinging slowly in the breeze like strange urban decorations.
It’s a familiar sight across cities, small towns, and neighborhoods in the U.S. and around the world.
But what do those shoes actually mean?
Is it a symbol? A memory? A celebration?
Or just a random act of fun?
Let’s look closer at the stories behind this mysterious tradition — because while there’s no single answer, each pair of shoes tells its own story.
