Being a native of New Jersey, you automatically have a lot to brag about--living only thirty minutes from the greatest city in the world, being known as the diner capital of the world, and having such a great thing called Weird NJ. Going away to college five states away makes you appreciate what you have when you no longer have it available at your fingertips. I am now in North Carolina.
There is a gigantic tree in the middle of a field here from which all types of shoes are hanging. Most of them were nailed to the tree’s trunk and some were hanging there by their laces. This was definitely the weirdest thing that I have ever come across. Why were so many shoes nailed to the trunk of the tree? Was it some crazy murderer keeping track of how many people he killed? Was it someone that was obsessed with shoes that wanted to display them?
When we first stopped at this tree and explored the area around it, it was nearing 5:30 pm and was getting dark out. It was also raining. We returned the next day. When we made our trip back, it was still raining. There were dates written on some of the shoes with names along them. There was no possible sign of civilization to ask someone what this was about, but my friend and I came to the conclusion it was some kind of memorial belonging to the town.
North Carolina will never compare to New Jersey and all the great things about it, but it was nice coming across some weirdness here that could be related back to home.
–Corinne O
They Come from Far and Wide (and Extra-Wide) to Toss Footware in Indiana
On Old State Road 64 in Milltown, Indiana, is what locals call the Shoe Tree. For four decades, people have come from all over, even from different states, to toss their old shoes up into the limbs of this tall tree. No one has counted them all, but it’s estimated that there are several hundred pairs up there.
Flatfoots Keep an Eye Out for Unlawful Soles in Michigan
On Highway 131, north of Kalkaska, is the famous Shoe Tree. Hundreds of pairs of shoes have been tossed into the tree over years. They first appeared early in 2001 and have multiplied in growth greatly since then. State police are keeping their eyes peeled for the perpetrator, although admittedly, it’s not too high on their list of priorities.
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Have you ever seen any of these Shoe Trees or know of another curious roadside oddity located somewhere else in the country? If you do we'd like to hear about it! Please contact us at: Editor@WeirdUS.com