SNOHOMISH — Managing editor Mike Henneke texted me an assignment: “Investigate an attempted murder in progress.”<\/p>\n
Seemed a little heavy for the irreverent “What’s Up” beat.<\/p>\n
What’s up with that?<\/p>\n
Turns out the victim wasn’t a person. It was a tree in Snohomish — a famous, fashionable one.<\/p>\n
“I got a tip somebody’s trying to kill the Shoe Tree,” Henneke said. “Bales of hay are stacked up around it, and it looks like it’s been sprayed.”<\/p>\n
He wouldn’t name the source.<\/p>\n
“He doesn’t want to go on record,” Henneke said.<\/p>\n
Come on, dude. This isn’t Crime Stoppers. What’s he afraid of — that someone will hurl a size 10 loafer at his head?<\/p>\n
The informant claimed he’d done “several drive-bys.” I opted for a proper stakeout.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Shoe Tree stands along South Machias Road, across from the Centennial Trail, between Bunk Foss Road and Highway 2.<\/p>\n
Straw crunched at its base. Dead leaves drooped from some branches. The tree looked rougher than when I last saw it a decade ago. Then again, so do I.<\/p>\n
Back in 2015, a reader asked me to check it out. Best I could dig up: the tree had been there for years, probably started by students. Many shoes still hang on for dear life.<\/p>\n
Dozens of pairs dangle like funky fruit — sneakers, hiking boots, Oxfords, cleats. Some mossy, some rotting. Once-laced pairs now swing apart like an old married couple. Soles flap loose. Pink flip-flops fade in the sun. High up, a pair of blue New Balance shoes with orange laces caught my eye. Hmmm, I wouldn’t mind those.<\/p>\n
RoadsideAmerica.com calls shoe trees “the greatest embodiment of the American Spirit you can find on the highway.” One dreamer tosses a pair, others follow. Soon it’s a cascade. The site lists trees in Georgia, Nevada, California, Maine, Michigan, Idaho and Indiana.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Summer leaves camouflage the shoes on the Machias Road tree. The nearest pullout is chained with a “No Trespassing” sign. I parked in front. No half-hearted drive-by for me.<\/p>\n
Cars roared past. Cattle grazed, blissfully unaware of any “murder.” Nobody stopped to toss shoes. No fresh kicks in sight.<\/p>\n
So I turned to modern detective work: Facebook.<\/p>\n
Comments poured in:<\/p>\n
“We always heard the rumor when I went to Snohomish High School that track students started the tradition 60+ years ago, tossing their shoes before state.”<\/p>\n
“I remember it from when I was a kid 40 years ago.”<\/p>\n
“I’ve lived in Snoho 28 years and it’s always been there. Loved that directions to my house included ‘past the Shoe Tree and sheriff’s posse.’”<\/p>\n
“Put our family shoes on there about 10 years ago. So cool!”<\/p>\n
Others had different takes:<\/p>\n
“Those tan boots look in pretty good shape and appear to be about my size.”<\/p>\n
“Don’t look too far into it. It’s no mystery. That bale of hay probably just fell off a truck.”<\/p>\n
Some swore witness to sabotage: “I once saw a guy angrily yanking shoes down and throwing them in the road.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Fans remain loyal:<\/p>\n
“We’ve taken our children and now grandchildren to see the Shoe Tree. We love it.”<\/p>\n
“I always thought it would make a great children’s story: a tree chosen to bear the weight of this spectacle.”<\/p>\n
“It’s awesome in the fall when the leaves are gone and only the shoes hang.”<\/p>\n
Then came this, from a Facebook post under the name Amy Marshall:<\/p>\n
“We have owned it for a few years now and do our best to keep it accessible,” she wrote. “I can guarantee that no one is trying to kill it.”<\/p>\n
She also had a PSA for drivers: “Y’all seem like you are in too big of a hurry these days, making Machias Road dangerous. Go the speed limit, take in the view. Maybe pull over respectfully, take a photo and enjoy looking at the cows.”<\/p>\n
As for who threw the first shoe, Marshall said: “The most credible story is the track team started it. Years ago.”<\/p>\n
So there you have it, Henneke. The Shoe Tree isn’t being murdered. It’s alive, well and fabulously accessorized.<\/p>\n
The only true crime? Those high-hanging New Balances with orange laces aren’t on my feet.<\/p>\n