Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Abandoned Shoes

Yet another reason why I am considered to be crazy is my hobby of taking pictures of abandoned shoes in Honduras. I don't think I would be so interested in them if I just saw one every once and awhile. However, they are on just about every street in the border town I call home. It is curious because there is usually just one half of the pair left behind. Is the other shoe still being used? Was this the location where the shoe gave out, never to be worn again? Perhaps the lack of a reliable trash disposal system is one factor in the random placement of old shoes. I can't imagine burning shoes would be very pleasant either.

Here are some examples of the abandoned shoe phenomenon:

5 comments:

La Gringa said...

Nice photos and I liked the music. Part of the reason there are so may be that the shoes sold in Honduras are such crap! I bought a pair of sandals the first time I was here on vacation. Put them on in the hotel room and walked to the front door to find a taxi. They broke the minute I stepped out the door. Amazing, huh?

A friend in Utila has told me that tons of these shoes get thrown in the the rivers and wash up on the shores of the Bay Islands, along with lots more trash.

Jacinta Mucosa said...

You make a good point about shoe quality. Most people can't afford a shoe that costs more than 100L, so I suppose the likelihood that they will last very long is not great. Additionally, the quality of shoes imported into Honduras is equally lacking.

It seems like one product that cannot be reused in a resourceful way. So many products can be broken down for parts, but there isn't much you can do with a shoe besides put a plant in it.

Unknown said...

Interesting post. I have a gringo friend who left one flip flop at my apt in Tegus about 2 months ago. She emailed me in the States hoping that I still had it, and I should mail it to her. So what is 1/2 of a flip flop. A flip? or a flop? At any rate, I don't have her flip flop, and I couldn't give a flip. But hey, interesting subject for you blog.

GlorV1 said...

Wow I flipped when i saw your little video about shoeshies. It was great and it reminds me of me who keeps old shoes and plants cactus in them. I think its a great idea with the flip flop or flop flips and definitely I know peple are flipping out when they see this. I like your blog. Take care.

Jacinta Mucosa said...

I'm glad some people like looking at old shoes as much as I do :)

Putting plants in the old shoes is a good idea because a lot of people have little gardens anyway.

I also neglected to mention there was a rumor going around my husband's hometown that I take pictures of shoes and submit them to the US government. I do this so that I can get grants for projects in Honduras, like to build houses, etc. All you need to get a grant is pictures of shoes :)