When you see a pair of shoes hanging from a power line, it’s usually to promote a street gang, point out a place where drugs are sold, or remember a life or death. What a pair of shoes hanging in a certain place really means depends on the situation. Students sometimes throw shoes on nearby power lines to celebrate a graduation or to mourn the death of someone.
People can see a pair of shoes hanging from a power line in many places. This is called “shoe tossing,” and it happens all over the world, especially in cities and college towns. Shoes on power lines don’t always mean the same thing, but depending on where the shoes are, you can figure out what they mean. Some young people throw shoes because they have seen other people do it. For others, it’s a sign of a good place to sell drugs, a gang, or even death.
When shoes are hung from telephone wires at an intersection, it can be a sign that gang members have taken over the area. It is also a sign that addicts can use to find places where they can buy the drugs they want. When a popular young person in the community dies suddenly, friends and family often throw shoes in their honour.
