The hanging of the shoes
August 27th, 2008
A recent walk around Vancouver’s Chinatown, one of the side streets caught my eye as the various overhead cables and wires were engulfed by shoes that had been draped over said wires. It was quite something to see, shoes of all kinds of sizes - ski boots, trainers, smart shoes; you name the style, they were there.
Obviously, I wouldn’t pass on a photo opportunity such as this and so took a number of photos from differing angles, trying to best capture the shoes that hung down from various levels.
I was unsure why these shoes had been hung over and asking around, people seemed to be aware of this spectacle but having no idea of the reason behind it. Looking on the Internet came up with a few suggestions, including a sign that drugs were available in this area or a sign that someone had recently lost their virginity.
More research showed this wasn’t unique to Chinatown and that all over Vancouver and further afield, shoes could be seen hanging from overhead cables.
Whatever the reason, or reasons, it makes an interesting talking point and for a photographer, a fun subject to shoot.
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