shoefiti

n. pairs of shoes, with laces tied, thrown over power lines, trees, and elsewhere. Subjects: English, Apparel, Appearance, & Fashion

Editorial Note: There’s a shoefiti photo pool at Flickr. Etymological Note: This term appears to have been coined by Ed Kohler.

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Citations: 2005 Ed Kohler @ Minneapolis Mpls—Minneapolis Issues Forum (June 27) “Shoefiti”: Shoefiti…Beginning last fall, I started sending “Street Light Outage” reports to Xcel whenever I spotted a pair of shoes on lines in our fair city. 2005 Ed Kohler Shoefiti (Sept. 13) “Welcome to Shoefiti.com”: Welcome to Shoefiti.com. This site will attempt to be the #1 resource on the web for dealing with shoes hanging from powerlines. 2007 Rob Seal Daily Progress (Charlottesville, Virginia) (May 28) “‘Shoefiti’ phenomenon has no clear answer”: Shoes hanging from utility lines are an international phenomenon, and the possible causes are the subject of seemingly endless speculation. There’s even a newly coined word for it: “shoefiti,” a combination of shoes and graffiti.

Posted 28 May 07 | Permalink | Tell a Friend

Reader comments:

Looks right to me.

by Ed Kohler 30 May 07, 0257 GMT

I have always been under the impression, justly or not, that shoes thrown over powerlines were an indication that a drug-dealer was nearby… Perhaps in the mid-west there are other indications, but it is unclear what they might be as I am firmly planted in the Northeast.

by Jennifer 31 May 07, 0551 GMT

I’ve read that, but I’ve also seen that explained as an urban myth. Several police departments have said that, as far as they’re concerned, the shoes are nothing more than mischief, since drug dealers a) don’t need to advertise and b) don’t want to be that visible.

by Grant Barrett 31 May 07, 0642 GMT

I think if they’re drug dealing related, it can’t be in such an obvious way that cops could find out which door to knock on for a drug bust. More likely, it helps drug buyers know where drugs are sold and sellers can approach people who don’t look like cops.

It’s definitely not accurate to assume all shoes on powerlines are drug related.

by Ed Kohler 31 May 07, 0646 GMT

I am a true-in-the-dye fan of any neo-word that ends with the suffix ‘-fiti (as in graffiti).
This word was a great addup to my word-robe! Thanks.
Some? Here:
_ROOFITI_GRAVANITI ‘or Gravanity’_GRUFFITI _CARFITI_
WHOREFITI_SCRATCHITI and some other obscure ‘streetologies’ .
Concerning being drug-related:
I couldn’t find any ref to that word in UD (urbandictionary.com), but my best guess is that it’s unheard of.
Dig.
---;

by hammer 01 Jun 07, 0333 GMT

In my town, shoes over the wire means bad little kids have been in the street picking on other kids. My husband is in jail right now for possesion and dealing charges. Unfortunetly, I know all too well that shoefiti is just a mark of territory by youngsters and is not drug related around here. Heck, when I was a kid we tied laces and threw them up too.

by Kelly 06 Jun 07, 0607 GMT