While I don’t think the phenomenon is quite as
common now as it was when I was a kid, you’ve probably walked or driven
through an area just to see a pair of sneakers tied together with
shoelaces and thrown onto a power line. I always assumed this was just
something the neighborhood kids did from time to time, but had no idea
there were so many theories about the meaning behind this
behavior.source: 97.3 The Dawg via Uns
plash/Kontiantyn Li
The first theory takes us all the way back to
wartime when soldiers apparently threw their boots when they had
completed their training or finished their service. Perhaps it is this
symbolism that all other theories originate from? Who knows. There is
also a common belief that throwing shoes onto a power line is a way for
gangs to mark their territory and warn other gangs to stay away.
However, this theory has never really been proven. Source:
Wikimedia
Many people think that seeing shoes up on a power
line is the result of children bullying each other. I can think of at
least two movies where neighborhood bullies have taken a kid’s sneakers
and thrown them onto a power line, leaving them without shoes. I would
like to think that this theory does not carry much weight, but I am sure
that there have been some circumstances over the years where that has
unfortunately been the case.S
ource: Q! News
Perhaps the most common theory (and the one I
personally believe in the most) is that people throw their sneakers at
power lines “just to”. Maybe it seems like a fun thing to do with a pair
of old sneakers. And like so many other behaviors, people see the first
couple thrown there and decide to do after it. For me, this is an
excellent example of how children are only children. Source:
International Enviro
guard
Having said that, you really shouldn’t throw
sneakers (or anything else for that matter) on a power line. Interfering
with a power line in any way is extremely dangerous, and it also
creates unsafe work for the power line companies whose employees will at
some point be responsible for taking off their sneakersSource: Chicago
Public Media /Flickr/
stevendepolo
If you have a pair of old sneakers, donate them! And if they’re not in good enough condition to be donated, just throw them in the trash.
Perhaps the most common theory (and the one I
personally believe in the most) is that people throw their sneakers at
power lines “just to”. Maybe it seems like a fun thing to do with a pair
of old sneakers. And like so many other behaviors, people see the first
couple thrown there and decide to do after it. For me, this is an
excellent example of how children are only children. Source:
International Enviro
guard
Having said that, you really shouldn’t throw
sneakers (or anything else for that matter) on a power line. Interfering
with a power line in any way is extremely dangerous, and it also
creates unsafe work for the power line companies whose employees will at
some point be responsible for taking off their sneakersSource: Chicago
Public Media /Flickr/
stevendepolo
If you have a pair of old sneakers, donate them! And if they’re not in good enough condition to be donated, just throw them in the trash.