Located along the isolated stretch of Highway 50 known as 'The Loneliest Road in America,' the Shoe Tree near Fallon started with a single pair of shoes tossed into a cottonwood tree. According to local accounts, the tradition began after a lovers' quarrel, when a man took his partner's shoes and threw them into the branches to keep her from leaving.
Natalie Worster of the Cold Creek Station Bar and Restaurant recalled the story: 'Originally the story that we all heard was a couple had had an argument there at the tree. And she was all mad and gonna walk out, and he decided he was gonna stop her from going, so he took her shoes and chunked them up in that shoe tree so she couldn't go anywhere.'
Over time, jilted lovers, pranksters, and travelers added thousands of shoes to the tree, each pair representing its own story. The original tree was cut down by vandals in 2010, prompting an outcry, but locals quickly designated a nearby tree as the new Shoe Tree.
Today, the replacement tree continues to be decorated with footwear of all kinds, maintaining the tradition as a quirky roadside landmark that draws visitors and reflects the humor and resilience of the community.
Sources: 8 News Now
Original reporting: 8 News Now →
English (US)·