The Adirondack Mystery Behind the Big Moose Shoes

Sneakers and other shoes dangle in pairs from a wire strung across Route 28 in Central New York. Why? What do they symbolize?

Big Moose is both a hamlet and lake in the Adirondacks of Central New York.

If you've ever driven up to Big Moose, you've likely seen the sneakers and shoes hanging across Route 28, just past the Big Moose Fire Company. There are dozens of pairs, shoelaces knotted together, hanging over the roadway. Are they some kind of marker, warning others to trespass no further? The last worldly possessions of unfortunate souls spirited off by an Adirondack ghost?

The explanation is not so foreboding, and far more charming.

According to a post in 'The Weekly Adirondack' and confirmed by comments on a YouTube video posted by Scree Hiker, the worn-out shoes are tossed over the wire by the seasonal employees who work in Big Moose, once the summer is over. The tradition has been going on for years, and serve as a marker to let you know you're getting close to Big Moose.