Their Untold Story

So I've been wondering about the stories behind these lost soles that I encounter. What are their tales of separation from their sole mate? I first reflect on when I might have ever lost a shoe and I come up with one scenario and then another. What about the time I was in a hurry to pack up after a vacation and left a single sandal behind in a hotel room. Or what about the time I grabbed my gym bag but didn't realize I had left a sneaker under the bench. Maybe this whole losing the one shoe thing is not so uncommon as I had first suspected. Then I think of all the absolutely strange places that I have come across lone soles. Highways, medians, sidewalks and even in the middle of intersections---how did they wind up there? I can't come to any rational explanations or draw any reasonable conclusions, so here's where creativity and imagination come into play. I'll be their voice and give story to their sad separation from a beloved other half. I'll tell of their misfortunes, fiascos, brushes with danger, and close calls. Who shall I begin with--

Stiletto, Flip Flop, Boot, Cleat, or perhaps Mary Jane?

Found Soles' Stories Go Untold

For every shoe I spot and then capture on film, there is one that I find but for various reasons and circumstances I just can't get the shot. Sometimes I am a passenger and not in charge of driving; therefore, I can't make the decision to turn around or pull over. Other times I am on the way to an appointment or perhaps already late and therefore unable to stop. And then there are the times when the shoe is in a dangerous location or an impossible location in order to capture the picture. I can't tell you how many times I see a shoe on a highway and there’s nowhere for me to pull over and surely no room for me to take a picture without getting hit by a car. I cannot and will not endanger my life or the life of someone else. 

Just recently, while traveling home from Charleston, SC, I noticed a sneaker turned upside down on the side of the highway. The shoe was smack dab next to the concrete divide as I merged from I26 onto I77. There was no exit for another mile and no pull off area on the left. And if I pulled over on the right, I would have had to run across 3 lanes of traffic with nowhere to stand. There was literally a foot of asphalt space between the yellow line and the divide--an impossible location. I very much dislike when I spot a shoe and can't get to it, but I have to be safe. Oh, don't get me wrong, sometimes I estimate intersection light changes and make a run for it, or hang over a curb when traffic lets up, but I make sure that it's safe first. I know that there will be plenty of other soles soon; I just have to be patient.

In Search of Soles

So I have begun to enlist the help of my friends and family with the search for lost soles. I've asked them to keep their eyes peeled and to be on the lookout wherever they go. Whenever a sole is spotted, I ask for both a picture and a location. Having both helps trigger where and when they were discovered.  I'm happy to report that shoes are showing themselves to my loved ones. Just last week I received a text from my brother that read, "A lost sole drowned in the Tennessee River in Knoxville."  He was on a hike and saw a capsized sneaker immersed in mud and surrounded by trash and debris.

 That same day, only a few hours later, a friend in Matthews, NC, came across a child's flip flop in a parking lot as she walked to her car. She snapped the shot and shared the location. Her 2nd text read, "I walked by it and turned around to take a picture...Some lady watched me take the pic and must have thought I was crazy." I can relate. There are many times I wonder what people are thinking as I crouch by the side of the road or run into an intersection with my camera. It's all for the shot!!! And I'm grateful that those I love are helping in the search! Many thanks!