Prologue
Recently, the very dynamic and entertainingly talented 
If you are not familiar with
On To The Story At Hand
These recent articles by
In her post, she pondered the odd, single footwear find, and wondered aloud to those of us out in readership land:
It always amazes me when I find a single shoe out in the woods. How does this happen? What exactly leads to someone leaving behind a sneaker?
Why Yes, I Have A Few Enlightening Ideas
Though I do not claim to be a complete expert in this field of study (IE: possessing a Masters of Study or PhD in Shoeology, or the other Foot Sciences), I have taken a couple of night classes in the Footwear Studies Department within the Schteinn School of the Sophisticated Sciences, and now have, somewhere, an official Certificate of Completion for this hard work.
Short Side Note
Because of this past academic experience, I have access to some of the finest minds in the footwear field, as well as the librarial reference services at the school. I feel this, coupled with my posting experience in the Steemit community under the series heading Shoe Shots, allows me license to venture an analysis of the shoes in the aforementioned discussion. (Plus, I recently finished the classic reference book: The Dress Shoe and It's Place In High-Society Fashion: A Short, Glamorous Life and Untimely Death In The Capricious, Dress-up World. By Marstrom P. Kloeddhopper, M.S.
The Shoe - As Presented By
Found-Shoe Analysis
Upon closer look and further study, this appears to be a shoe manufactured by FILA, circa fourth quarter of 2012. Most likely a Pegasus Elite II, mid-distance runner. Not a Marathon Shoe, as this would have a sturdier, more vertical instep line.
I am guessing a women's, size 7 or 8, suggested by the length-to-width, ball-to-heel ratiotics of the foot-pan extent.
Conveniently expressed as:
R.E. = 12 - rD/[ᴸBH]²+3
Whereby:
12 = The average median shoe size ALL metric computations start with, as base root
rD = The Ratiotic Factor D (too complicated to explain here to a non-shoe-science audience)
ᴸBH = Length, derived from Heel Base Depth X Height of Toe Crown ([ ]² = Squared, of course.)
+3 = A bunch of statistics involving shoe wear. Once again, too complicated to explain here
Surfacial Features
Though there is some superficial algae showing on the outer surfaces of the shoe, lack of mature moss growth and the still-supple inner-arch assembly have me leaning toward shoe mis-placement in the month of September, 2017. Most likely in the second or third week.
It is very hard to say which day of the month was involved here, as I am not privy to the exact location of recovery, or daily weather patterns for that month in this particular area of the country.
Internal Wear Factors
Owner of this shoe was a minor pronator, by the look of starboard cushion collapse and the insert wear at the apex of the heel. Orthotics would help the shoe owner in this regard, but are obviously not present within this specimen.
All-Important Lacing Dynamics
The fact the laces are completely missing is key here. No wild animal in this part of the world is yet capable of fully removing the entire lacing extent in a double-sided, 7 eye hole design shoe, particularly on a pair with loop-stitch eyes in the upper 2/3 shoe-drant (high tech-speak for shoe/quadrant, for you podiatric analysis novi out there.)
As there are no species representative of the ape family in the Eastern Seaboard of the US, all other wild animals of natural possibility would pretty much decimate the shoe in the de-lacing process. The mammals in this country just aren't all that coordinated.
Hence, the complete lack of lacing, and the fact the tongue is fully distended into the Beta position, suggests a very rapid egress from the shoe by the previous owner. Arising from one of two possible scenarii:
Shoe Exit Possibilities
Scenario 1.0 EMERGENCY!
Owner needed to leave the shoe in rapid form, such as in a dire, life-threatening situation. I can not tell if the laces were cut by a knife or sharp machete, as the distal side of the tongue is not visible, and would show major sharp-implement lacerations to it's outer integument, if performed in such a rapid, emergency departure.
I am leaning away from this scenario, as there would no-doubt be a few lace-segments still present in at least one or two eyelet openings of the shoe. Think fat, cooked macaroni noodles hanging out of a pencil sharpener.
Though, upon second, deeper thought, rodents of the genus Neotoma (common Pack or Wood Rat) HAVE been observed pulling and thus utilizing leftover lacing from emergency shoe situations for use as nesting material in their birthing dens. Particularly in the upper NE states of Vermont, New Hampshire, and even as far north as Maine.
These crafty wood's creatures COULD have pulled the leftover cut lacing for this purpose. Question to finder: Did you see any Pack Rat evidence in the area? Can you enlighten me as to the gestation dynamics of this species in your part of the country? This would be most helpful in this regard.
Scenario 2.0 - Shoe Refuse
The owner of the footwear decided for one reason or another to discard the shoe. And being a very thrifty individual, PULLED the intact lacing from the shoe before tossing them, in hopes of using the laces for some other, unknown household application.
Possibly to tie-up a package for mailing in the US Postal system? Hanging old bicycle inner-tubes from the rafters of the garage? Quick-neuter a backyard ram? The possibilities are endless, and therefor impossible to make final decision about.
However, once the laces WERE pulled, it's obvious the owner then decided to abandon the shoe out into the wilderness. No doubt to allay any garbage disposal fees imposed upon them at their domicile of existence. This is where our scenario diverges on the path of possibility once more:
Sub-Scenario 2.01-A -- Overland Shoe Transport
The shoe was transported here by the owner during a recent hike or a camping trip. Probably arriving by some sort of motor transport. Obvious...as walking back home through the rock and pokey-stick forest with only one, or worse, NO shoes...would be decidedly painful.
The fact there is only ONE shoe also suggests the original owner may be a quasi-law-abiding citizen, and not wanting to incur the large fines in-place for Abandonment of Footwear on Public Lands (R.S.- AFPL-158.3461/4), distributed the paired shoes separately across the landscape. (Wondering if the finder has considered traveling out to the woods once more to try to locate the mate to this shoe? It would give us more information with which to complete further analysis.)
OR:
Sub-Scenario 2.01-B -- Waterway Shoe Motility
I am not privy, once more, to the exact shoe-find location, and resulting proximity to waterways or flood-planes of the proximal area. Such knowledge would suggest the shoe was transported to it's current location on water-borne currents, AFTER initial, dry-land discard or tragic, UN-intentional loss. A small flood, or large deluge of rain and resulting overland flow could float this shoe to the forested area just fine.
Once again, my theoretics lean away from this direction of thought. The surrounding leaves in the shoe's proximity show no sedimentation or deposition of NON-native vegetational detritus, and likewise there is no earthen sedimentation within the shoe itself. All I note within the shoe are wind-born needles and aero-borne frass from the upper-level reaches of the conifer trees of the area. Yes, I'm pretty sure the shoe did not just float here.
Final Analysis and Thoughts
I really have no idea where this shoe might have originated or what story is behind it's loss. But it is a NICE shoe! I do hope the finder took it home, as it still shows ~47% of it's original footwear life still intact, and one could definitely get some more wear out of this fine-ly crafted shoe. Plus the color scheme is pretty darn spiffy.
Recommendation: I would not run more than 3 miles in this shoe. The pronational damage might make one a bit tippy, and the lack of it's mate would make running in a straight line a hefty challenge, even for the most experienced runner.
Author's Note:
No sooner had I finished this complex scientific analysis and write-up of Shoe No. 1, when I noticed put out another post, with ANOTHER lost and found shoe within her Thursday color challenge post. Thursday Green Post by @dreemit
This Is The Photo
The Second (Green) Shoe
Included with this photo of a new-found shoe, was the following verbiage:
And once again we have a lone shoe, though the one from the violet post was almost certainly a woman's shoe, while this appears to be a man's. It also appears to have been here for quite some time, and I think it's safe to say that it was not originally green. -
This One IS All Green And Mossy!
Unfortunately, I am out of time to discuss this second shoe, and must do further perusal and research to do this mis-placed footwear full justice. However, for you purists out there, I will take a 'quick and dirty stab' at a bit of thought here. I know, I know, not very scientific, but you know what they say..."when the bug bites, you just gotta itch".
A Short Stab With An Even Shorter Stick
Upon first look, this shoe was lost by some sort of wide-ankled bog-walker, with a penchant for heartily tied lacing, utilizing the under-over, S-loop eyelet threading pattern. And a STYLISH, well-laced, mud-trodding enthusiast this person was as well.
Just imagine it. A muckity bog-shoe patterned after a Class B, Pennington Smythe sailing yacht, poop-deck shoe, found only in the Upper East Coast regions of fine boating. The owner of said shoe was either a veteran sailor, or a true dreemer in the world of footwear purchase. Either scenario, I can only imagine the angst at losing such a fine, highly expensive shoe to the out-of-doors elements. Bog trodder or not.
I would like nothing more than to enter into further, deep analysis involving this shoe, but time is not on my side. Lunch is ready, and beyond that fact, the library and reference desk at The S.S.S.S. is closed up button-tight on Saturdays. So further research and footwear analytics based in TRUE Science will have to wait for another day.
NOTE: If anyone out there in Steemit-land would like to cross-venture a mental toe into this fascinating world of shoe history and analysis regarding this very green shoe, please feel free to 'horn on in'. All puns fully intended. I'm all shoe-loving, deep-analysis ears here.
~ Finto ~
Thanks for stopping in and viewing the latest Shoe Shots, and reading about the esSTEEMed author . If you have any thoughts about errant shoes, footwear analysis, classic colored runner's, moldy green sailing/bog shoes, or anything else this post reminds you of, feel free to comment away in the spaces below. I'd love to hear from you.
Author's Note
Many thanks to the wonderful Steemitian for allowing me to use her shoes. Please remember to jog on over to her site, and peruse and vote for her wonderful works. Thanks again, , for letting me use your moldy shoe finds'.
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Posted: 11/12/2017