Hoff, who runs a blog about the struggle in North Minneapolis against drug dealers, prostitutes, and copper thieves, explains why he thinks it’s important to remove shoes from powerlines:

The Adventures of Johnny Northside: Elite Shoe Patrol Unit Chalks Up Victories

Some people think the shoes on the lines mean “gang territory” but in my observation it’s more like kids with time (and shoes) on their hands. But outsiders THINK the shoes mean “gang territory,” and when it comes to something like house-hunting, perception might become reality.

Thus the need for an elite shoe patrol unit. Peter has two long wooden boards he uses for footwear extraction, and it’s quite an art. Taking the shoes off the lines is the easy part. Gingerly de-tangling the laces with a 12-foot board is the difficult aspect.

That’s really the point. Regardless of why they’re thrown on powerlines, if people think they’re associated with tough neighborhoods, they’re going to hurt neighborhoods where they’re hanging.

Read what this police chief had to say
“While most people have noticed it at least once, Kankakee Police Chief Mike Kinkade said there is nothing behind the belief that old shoes hanging over power lines is anything sinister. There are nearly as many shoes hanging from these electric lines as there are theories as to what the tied-together shoes mean, Kinkade said.”
Who knows who to believe about shoe sightings.