The Meaning of Shoes on Power Lines in Brooklyn
CityNoise.org has a thread on shoes hanging from Brooklyn power lines, along with an explanation:
In Brooklyn, tradition dictates that when you get a new pair of shoes,
you throw your old pair over the streetlight or powerlines on your
corner.
you throw your old pair over the streetlight or powerlines on your
corner.
Interesting. I’m sure that’s often the case. But is it always that innocent?
Lots of shoes in Brooklyn.
Reading through the extensive comments, I found a few alternative theories, such as:
if they got red on dem dat means there is a crack dealer in the hood
and if u see a dude wearing red marks on his kicks hes the dude
and if u see a dude wearing red marks on his kicks hes the dude
Does the grammar give that comment street cred?
Windy City Girl suggests:
When a gangmember gets beat up by a rival gan they take the dude shoes
off and throw them up onto their territory –kind of like a trophy….
off and throw them up onto their territory –kind of like a trophy….
Maybe that’s the Chicago scene rather than Brooklyn? Here’s a take from Boston:
the sneakers in boston are territory markers if you see to many one one line then you better know where you are.
As usual, no shortage of theories.
December 30th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
In the late 80’s, I was in the U.S. Marines. On your last day of serving 4 years of active service, guys would throw a pair of combat boots up in the air on power lines. I guess it was to say “I won’t be needing these f*cking things anymore”. Nobody ever said why we did it, we just did it.
January 1st, 2010 at 8:06 am
[...] A recent commenter named Robert explains his involvement with shoefiti in the 1980’s In the late 80’s, I was in the U.S. Marines. On your last day of serving 4 years of active service, guys would throw a pair of combat boots up in the air on power lines. I guess it was to say “I won’t be needing these f*cking things anymore”. Nobody ever said why we did it, we just did it. [...]