The Missing Shoe Conundrum.

[+gingerbreadmen]

It's something I have noticed for years but ever since we started caching it has become more apparant. Has anybody else noticed the amount of single shoes that are left lying about, often in the most inacessable of places? How do people lose a shoe and not notice? How do they get home and what explanation do they give? They can't all be drunk, and why oh why does approximately 90% of all discarded footwear appear to be of the left foot variety?

C'mon, there must be an answer out there and before you ask, yes I have thought of a certain celebrity but am too tasteful to mention her myself.

[+Simply Paul]

Having lost a shoe setting my 'I am Not a Number...' cache, I'd like to know the answer to this too

Edit to add link to a photo of the shoe that I *didn't* lose.

Edited May 30, 2006 by Simply Paul

[+Mr'D]

They can't all be drunk

I bet a good many are!

 

It's usually a Saturday or Sunday morning they appear.

 

I know, I had it done to me twice, along with other articles of apparel! (Yes yes OK...it was many, many years ago!)

 

I think it's supposed to be a larf

 

 

Edited to add photo:

 

Don't suppose this one was reclaimed!

 

Edited May 30, 2006 by Mr.Dewdrop

[+purple_pineapple]

A very good question, and a very timely one as, while carrying out a bit of garden maintenence, we dicovered a stray shoe in our back garden! Now where did THAT come from??? Certainly not one of ours....

 

Cheers!

[+dysdera]

Now what about when you find items of underwear left behind in the woods, surely the owner might have noticed then falling off!!!

[Team 'James W']

You often see just one shoe on the verges/central reservations of motorways, I find.

 

Bizzarre.

Edited May 31, 2006 by Team 'James W'

[+Munkeh]

You often see just one show on the verges/central reservations of motorways, I find.

 

Bizzarre.

 

ahh feeble examples, armstrong park newcastle

 

http://static.flickr.com/43/112042402_1326824a37.jpg?v=0

[+gingerbreadmen]

ahh feeble examples, armstrong park newcastle

 

http://static.flickr.com/43/112042402_1326824a37.jpg?v=0

 

I went to our local shoe shop to ask for a shoe tree but didn't get one that looked like that! Wonder how many of them are for the left foot?

[+currykev]

Maybe these left shoes have been discarded by Heather Mc....

Edited May 31, 2006 by currykev

[+MartyBartfast]

Obviously the shoes left in the woods were rejects that didn't make it onto the fence:

 

http://www.confluence.org/photo.php?visitid=11026&pic=8

 

BTW, found half a shoe in the New Forest over the weekend, looked like it had once been part of a pair of black brogues.

[+minstrelcat]

We've seen all sorts of clothing over the years, just lying about in random places. Gloves, scarves, t-shirts, jackets - even underpants.

 

One was even a cache.

 

Lisa

Edited May 31, 2006 by minstrelcat

[+Pengy&Tigger]

 

We even find the one shoe in films...

 

Pengy

[+Old B]

It appears to me there is a simple solution for the fact that the right shoe is never found.

 

Obviously the half a pair of footwear that is normally found is the "left" one.

 

Sorry about this but someone had to say it eventually.

 

Gordon (Old

[+John Stead]

I think I'd be more worried if the left shoes still had feet in them. The bras which decorate a tree near one of my caches are empty though - caused some puzzlement to the local scouts!

[+kewfriend]

Now what about when you find items of underwear left behind in the woods, surely the owner might have noticed then falling off!!!

 

I refer you to this little expedition for the obvious explanation.

Edited June 1, 2006 by kewfriend

[+stora]

Now what about when you find items of underwear left behind in the woods, surely the owner might have noticed then falling off!!!

 

I refer you to this little expedition for the obvious explanation.

 

you could have warned me, i've only just eaten

[+Jango & Boba Fett]

--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Old B @ May 31 2006, 03:54 PM) 2248590[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->

It appears to me there is a simple solution for the fact that the right shoe is never found.

 

Obviously the half a pair of footwear that is normally found is the "left" one.

On a recent escapade to Wales we did indeed find both the Right and the Left boot. I'm sure that under the new devolved system of government in Wales both boots claimed their right to be left behind!

 

 

{EDITED 18:00 to include - While I was doing some maintenance checks on caches I stumbled across this post at one of our favourite caches. I think that a quick peek may help to explain many missing items - but not the shoe conundrum.}

Edited June 1, 2006 by Jango & Boba Fett

[+Roving Rangies]

I can inform you however, that if there is a very bad/fatal crash/accident like a car/bus/lorry/train, there are always odd shoes left behind. Apparently it the only bit of clothing that falls off when a body is struck or put into a violent shock!

[Dave from Glanton]

I can inform you however, that if there is a very bad/fatal crash/accident like a car/bus/lorry/train, there are always odd shoes left behind. Apparently it the only bit of clothing that falls off when a body is struck or put into a violent shock!

 

I remember a story on Radion 4's "Home Truths" show some time ago (back when John Peel was presenting it). There was a series of stories about random shoes, etc. One week they ran a (slightly macabre) story from somebody who found a boot with a foot still in it. The following week they had a story from the person who the boot/foot had belonged to, explaining the circumstances of the accident he'd had.

 

p.s. am I alone in thinking that "The Missing Shoe Conundrum" would make an excellent name for a rock band?

[+gingerbreadmen]

I remember a story on Radion 4's "Home Truths" show some time ago (back when John Peel was presenting it). There was a series of stories about random shoes, etc. One week they ran a (slightly macabre) story from somebody who found a boot with a foot still in it. The following week they had a story from the person who the boot/foot had belonged to, explaining the circumstances of the accident he'd had.

 

You can't just say something like that and not tell us any more. How, why and what happened.... I'll not get to sleep tonight wondering about this.

[nobby.nobbs]

there used to be a tree just outside of stokenchurch bucks where people tied odd shoes to the branches... various ideas as to why they did this.... well it was rural buckinghamshire they are a little odd at times!

[+4 Badgers]

A very good question, and a very timely one as, while carrying out a bit of garden maintenence, we dicovered a stray shoe in our back garden! Now where did THAT come from??? Certainly not one of ours....

 

Cheers!

 

My guess is it's the foxes - even urban ones seem to have a shoe fetish! We no longer leave our shoes outside our back door because we've watched foxes take off with them.................

 

(P.S. Check this out..... http://aneetproduction.blogspot.com/2006/0...hoe-fetish.html )

Edited June 4, 2006 by 4 Badgers