The Case Of The Mysterious Shoe.

[crow]

I spent too many years living in London, England, but while I was there, I ran into something very mysterious...

No matter where I was, in London, there was almost always to be found, on any given street, one shoe, lying discarded on the sidewalk, or in the gutter. This continued to be the case for as long as I lived there. It mystified me. What on earth was the story behind all these odd, abandoned shoes?
Finally I chanced to discover the answer, which was not at all obvious, until it suddenly was.

Who can guess what was going on?

[dead last]

Improvised explosive devices were blowing peoples' legs (just one at a time) clean off, shoe and all?

In the US, it is somehwat common to see a whole pair of shoes tied together and dangling from a power cable on a residential street. Rumor has it that this is a subtle (nor not) way of identifying a drug dealer's house.

Rarely ever do I see a lone shoe on the street though. I'm baffled but intruiged (so I'm in a normal state of mind).

[crow]

The north american thing is certainly two sneakers, with laces tied together, hung over power or phone lines.
As I understand it, however, is older schoolkids grabbing a younger kid's shoes and hurling them up there deliberately.
A less in-yer-face form of bullying.

But no. Your theory is not the way of things in London.

[Walt]

Shoes abandoned after hobo's brewed jenk in them? Like some high quality hows-your-grandfather jenk. The real shit.

Shoes stolen by vandals from the front of a temple where footwear removal is required for entry.

Land dwelling hermit crabs?

Feral dogs performing a similar act to the aforementioned vandals?

Shoes used by a conscientious sodomite as an impromptu condom to prevent opeth transmission during a delightful spot of buggery? 

[crow]

Creative, yes, true, no 
Next?

[trystero]

People throw them at pigeons.

[crow]

That's the best answer yet. Believable, for Londoners, too. But no.

[death metal black metal]

A few possibilities:

1. People abandon one shoe when it's worn out, and are used to wearing mismatched pairs.

2. If you mug someone, it's a good idea to take one of his shoes so he can't pursue you.

3. If you rob a house, stealing one of each shoe is a form of revenge.

4. If you drink to excess, it's easy to lose a shoe when stumbling over and falling.

5. When seizing small children for molestation, it is customary to yank them from the curb into a waiting panel van, at which point a single shoe is often left behind.

[scourge]

Poor blighter Brits take all these probably deserved quips gracefully in stride as is characteristic.

The north american thing is certainly two sneakers, with laces tied together, hung over power or phone lines.

I thought that was limited to the confederate southeast but apparently the phenomenon affects the whole country.

[Hamhusu]

X marks the spot.

I think they're just there so we scratch our heads.

[trystero]

I MUST KNOW

[metalcore]

Driving through the hood, I saw a solitary shoe. It did not appear to be damaged past the point of use. My guess is that someone either got hit by a car, or got his ass beat. If you're going to pound the crap out of someone, one good way is to plant your foot on his foot and then whale away. His saving move is to break free and leave the shoe behind.

[crow]

I MUST KNOW

Nice. I like this. Sort of metal-in-few-words.
I'd have provided the solution sooner but I've been in A&E all week with a serious spontaneous pneumothorax, and literally dying in extremes of pain.

There were - in the early 1980s - an estimated 33000 foxes living in London. The number is probably considerably higher now.
People sometimes leave their shoes out on the step, front or back, to air, to dry, or for convenience.
Foxes like shoes, but can only swipe one at a time. They either simply use them as toys, or chew off any leather, and leave the remainder wherever they happen to be.
The ones left in the street are the ones you'll mostly see, although parks and commons are also full of them.

Problem solved:)
Urban foxes.
You don't know, until you know, and then it's so obvious you feel really dumb for not knowing.

[Wild]

What's A&E?

I'm glad you're back to the realms of the living...as to the foxes, not it's not at all obvious. I didn't know Britain still had wild animals, let alone foxes.

[crow]

What's A&E?

Accident and emergency. All my life-threatening scenarios occur on Sundays and Bank Holidays. Part of being a crow.