At some point in most people's lives, they've looked up to see a pair of sneakers tied together, suspended from a wire above a sidewalk or a street. Typically, the next thought is to ask, "Why are there shoes hanging from a power line?" It turns out, there are a few possible reasons.

One of the most common ones is that the shoes serve a seedy purpose, like marking a location for buying drugs. The theory is backed by some police officers across the country, but a spokesperson for the New York Police Department has refuted it, telling the New York Times, "I don’t think it's the sort of thing that people advertise by leaving a sign." Other cops have called the theory an urban legend. There is also no proof that the hanging shoes are related to gangs, but then again, few gang members would ever speak about it, and when asked, police departments in large cities couldn't confirm or deny that gangs are involved.

Another popular belief is that the shoes serve as a memorial. Per a YouTube video from Decoding The Streets, the sneakers symbolize a loved one who is now "walking in heaven." Many believe these memorials are often for victims of gun violence. The shoes could also be for a happier reason - they were thrown high above in celebration, whether by recent grads or those in the military marking the end of a tour.

Believe it or not, a handful of shoes hang for artistic reasons. Instead of graffiti, some folks use shoes and power lines as a creative outlet. Known as shoefiti, there are people out there who consider tossing their sneakers as an art form.

Most likely though, the reason shoes hang from wires is kids just being kids. A teen might have thrown his sneakers on a wire after losing a bet or a victim could've had a bully pull off his shoes and loft them. The most common reason is that there isn't really one. Retired police sergeant Rob Demarco told Readers Digest that if you see a hanging pair of shoes, it might just be because some kids were acting silly, challenging each other to see if they could land a pair on a wire, or just finding a unique way to dispose of an old pair of shoes.

Whatever the reason is for it, throwing shoes on power lines definitely isn't recommended. It is likely illegal in many areas, either because it is littering, criminal mischief or vandalism. It also could cause short circuits that result in injuries. Additionally, it uses up resources when public works crews inevitably need to remove the shoes.

Armstrong & Getty