Though less common now, you’ve likely seen sneakers tied together and flung over power lines. I once assumed it was just a neighborhood prank, but various theories suggest otherwise.

One theory traces it back to soldiers who tossed their boots on power lines after completing training.

This may have led to other ideas, such as the unproven claim that gangs use it to mark territory. Some believe it results from bullying, similar to scenes in movies where kids lose their shoes this way.

Still, the most popular explanation—and the one I find most plausible—is that people do it for fun. It’s likely just a harmless tradition that others continue after seeing it.