I came across these shoes in downtown Pittsburgh in September, 2008. Sister and I were walking from our hotel to the Pirates stadium. These shoes were neatly left on the sidewalk. On one side of the sidewalk, there was the busy thoroughfare and Convention Center; the other side was a grassy incline that led to the river.
To me, these shoes represent a choice to leave the every day monotony behind for the adventure on the other side. Perhaps this man was working 9 to 5 in the daily grind, and when stopped to cross over to the convention center, chose to leave behind the expected, the safe and kick off his shoes to walk barefoot though the grass to the cool, beautiful water.
That - or perhaps they just gave him one heck of a blister!
