Ever wonder why you sometimes see sneakers hanging from telephone wires?

After watching the film "BIG FISH" I got to wondering about it more and more. I've asked numerous people, checked alot of websites and actually went to the library to find out more.

Here is my conclusion:

This tradition originally began in the 1930s in the rural towns of America as a symbol to those passing by that the town and the farms around it were in need of migratory workers. This tradition dramatically increased in the 40's with the large amount of men from these towns having gone to Europe to participate in WW2, the need for workers was at its peak.

But since then, the symbol of shoes hanging from telephone lines now has numerous meanings.

-Could be as simple as a bully stealing a wimp's pair of shoes.
-Could be the symbol of gang activity in a city (or a place to buy drugs)
-A symbol used by boys to show their loss of virginity
-Palestinian teenagers along the Gaza Strip do it, because shoes are seen as "dirty" according to their culture. Hence it is seen as an insult to the soldiers these rebels are fighting, since they are forced to walk under the shoes of these Palestinian teens. I can see a young Arafat doing this in his teens.

So there you have it.
Consider yourself informed!

Until next time,
do it for the kids, the kids are always watching!