powerlines on elm street
and winthrop ave, new haven.

Public Works:
Town activates Sneaker Removal Program
Too many sneaks on powerlines, Safety Experts sigh.

Sneakers hanging from powerlines, a symbol for modern urban plight, have been scoped by Public Works as a hazard for electrical utilities.

Foreign objects hanging from powerlines, with any mass at all, interfere with the design of electrical wires and poles by altering the expected weight of the power lines.

 

The reasons for this being the chosen method of sneaker disposal in urbanized areas range anywhere from because (a) displaying the old shoes serves as a reminder for all the sneakers that passed their days of use, or (b) the shoes were tossed there not by the owner, but by a tormentor of the owner.

There may be more reasons, but this is all that can be speculated for now.