Shoe Tree

by Erik Moore,
A deciduous tree in winter with many pairs of shoes slung over the bare branches
The Shoe Tree on the West Bank of the Twin Cities Campus. Erik Moore

The Shoe Tree refers to a tree on the West Bank of the Twin Cities Campus. It grows on the southwest side of the Washington Avenue bridge. The tree is known for the numerous pairs of shoes thrown from the bridge whose laces wrap around the branches and hang from the tree.

About the tree

The tree is a common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis). It is part of the Mississippi Gorge Regional Park and grows out of the bluff above the Bohemian Flats. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board manages the wooded areas along the Mississippi River. The tree’s canopy reaches the Washington Avenue bridge and is occasionally pruned to keep the walkway clear.

Shoe Tree folklore

Found throughout the United States, shoe trees are primarily located along less-traveled highways or walkways. There are online maps for shoe trees as roadside attractions. Although there are many shoe trees across the country, this is the only one in Minnesota.

The Washington Avenue bridge was moved to its current alignment in 1965. It is unlikely the shoe tradition existed before this date and certainly not with this tree or location. There is no single event or campus tradition that results in shoes being thrown into the tree. Individuals do it on a case-by-case basis.

Popular interest in the Shoe Tree

Since the early 2000s, interest in the Shoe Tree has grown. Several newspaper articles and television news segments have highlighted the tree. Discussions about the tree are found on Reddit and in podcasts. A description of the tree is in at least one graduate thesis. The Shoe Tree is a destination in Atlas Obscura. It is also a popular Pokémon Go location.

rail bridge across a river
The original Washington Ave bridge is in the background. A home on the Bohemian Flats is visible. A man is walking in the approximate location where the current bridge connects to the West Bank and where the Shoe Tree is now located. Bohemian Flats, 1925. University of Minnesota Archives, ua400148 http://purl.umn.edu/81186
aerial view of west bank campus and Washington Ave bridge, 1965
The realignment of the Washington Avenue bridge in 1965 was part of the West Bank development. Only after the upper deck walkway opened would people be able to reach the location that would become the Shoe Tree. Campus Views, 1965. University of Minnesota Archives, una103058. http://purl.umn.edu/172310
Shoes in a tree in the snow
Shoes covered in ice or snow add weight to the branches and have the potential to damage the tree. Tom Foley, November 21, 2001.
five pairs of shoes that hang from a tree branch
Shoes of all types hang from the Shoe Tree. Patrick O’Leary, March 26, 2007.
Minnesota Magazine clipping about the Shoe Tree
A 500-foot tree? The 2012 University of Minnesota Alumni Association magazine notes it is not clear when students began tossing their shoes into the tree or why they do it, calling it a “sole-ful sight.” Minnesota Magazine, Summer 2012. Vol.111 No.4, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/163524
Shoe Tree viewed from the pedestrian bridge on a sunny day
Washington Avenue bridge walkway in the shadow of the Shoe Tree. Erik Moore, March 3, 2021.
Shoe Tree and snow-covered Bohemian Flats on a sunny day
Shoes hang over the bluff of the Mississippi River valley. Erik Moore, March 3, 2021.
shoes on the ground beneath the Shoe Tree
Looking down the trunk of the Shoe Tree. Fallen shoes are scattered on the ground. Erik Moore, March 3, 2021.
upper branches of a tree with many pairs of shoes slung across every branch
Shoes in the upper canopy of the Shoe Tree. Erik Moore, March 3, 2021.

Erik Moore is the University Archivist and Co-Director of the University Digital Conservancy. To learn more, visit the University of Minnesota Archives.

Article topics: Archives and Special Collections | University Archives