Kes saab oma tossud juhtmete külge ja miks? See on mõttekas.

Shoes that are thrown over the wires on the street – at least once in a lifetime, but each of us has seen such a phenomenon. It can be assumed that the first thing you thought about in such a situation: “Here are hooligans, why did you have to do it? Now to climb after them, to take them off.” And the second thing you thought was, “They should do the same thing to mine.” Some will find it an entertaining fact, and others will snort unhappily and will long discuss leprosy on the bench at the entrance.

In fact, there are special meanings in “throwing” shoes, it is not just childish.

The term “shufiti” has its roots in the history of the United States and comes from the combination of two words: shoe (“shoe”) and graffiti (“graffiti”).

“Cultureless” trend

It is difficult to get to the truth. It is truly unknown, who was the first and what meaning had a pair of “first” sneakers, thrown on the wires.

Why did it become a tradition and spread all over the world? The phenomenon originated in the streets of the ghetto. Already then there were rumors and legends, thanks to which it became a separate subculture.

The explanatory dictionary says that “subculture” (from Latin sub – “under”, “about” and cultura – “cultivation”, “education”) is a separate part of the dominant culture in society, which stands out from the general background. The basis of a subculture can be a style of music, a way of life, certain political or social views, in accordance with which the cultural image of the participants will be created. Judging by the well-known legends of shufiti, such a description is quite suitable.

• Street sports and hip-hop culture. This is how the youth of America marked “their” place and demonstrated to outsiders that the territory was occupied. In addition, after streetball sneakers of young guys pretty quickly wore out, and to get rid of them was accepted in such an uncomplicated way;

Streetball is a type of basketball game that originated in poor neighborhoods in the United States in the 1950s.

• Crime. No, no, it wasn’t Michael Jackson’s song that made people throw their shoes on the wires. Such a tag marked significant points for criminals, including the boundaries between gang territories.

The last two theories seem to be the most plausible, although there’s a lot to quibble with.

Where do you find hanging sneakers?

Most often it is poor, disadvantaged streets and neighborhoods. It is not necessarily about third world countries. On the contrary, quite often this phenomenon can be found on the streets of major cities such as New York, London, Sydney.

Of course, you can disagree, stay on the side of the skeptics and continue to argue that it’s all from idleness. And you can romanticize the image that was built around abandoned shoes and sneakers in particular. The choice is yours and yours alone.