The Strange History of Oregon’s Shoe Trees, and Where to Find Them

Oregonians are used to quirky things popping up around the state, and few are as strange, or as divisive, as the shoe tree.

A shoe tree is exactly what it sounds like: a tree hung with hundreds of old or worn out shoes, sometimes so many that the branches give out under the weight.

Trees across Oregon have collected shoes for years, and each one tends to leave a lasting impression on the residents and travelers who pass by, or who stop to add a pair of their own.

Not everyone appreciates them, though. Several beloved shoe trees around the state have been cut down or burned, apparently just to spite the people who cherished them.

Still, Oregonians haven’t let that stop them. Where one tree falls, another usually takes its place.

Here’s a look at where shoe trees came from and where to find them around the state.

Where did shoe trees come from?

The origins of shoe trees are murky, and a handful of competing legends have grown up around them.

Some say the tradition started with the military, with soldiers tossing their boots into a tree to mark the end of training. A darker version claims early shoe trees served as trophy collections, holding the shoes of victims.

Others say the custom began as a way to honor lost loved ones, or as a place to leave retired shoes behind for anyone who needed a pair.

Today, most of the shoes hanging in a given tree mark something more cheerful, like a wedding or a graduation, with messages like “just married” or “class of 09” written across the soles.

Where are shoe trees located in Oregon?

Shoe trees tend to show up at random, in both remote and populated areas, and they’re never guaranteed to stick around. Many exist now only in photographs and memory.

Here’s where to find the shoe trees still standing in Oregon, along with a few that are rumored and a few that have met an untimely end.

The Bend shoe tree: One of the best known shoe trees in the state, it sits just off Highway 97 a couple of miles outside Bend on the way to Redmond.

The Harrisburg tree of shoes: This tree sits off Peoria Highway near Harrisburg and has been collecting shoes for at least a decade, according to residents in the area.

The Alfalfa shoe tree: A tall juniper that had been going strong for years, the Alfalfa shoe tree was chopped down by vandals a couple of years ago.

The Redmond shoe tree: This tree is said to have blown over in a windstorm. According to RoadsideAmerica.com, its shoes were later moved to the Bend shoe tree.

The Mitchell shoe tree: Treasured by many locals, the Mitchell shoe tree once carried a hand painted sign reading “A Bunch of Old Souls Just Hanging Around.” It’s rumored to have burned down in 2019 and has since been rebuilt. Check out this fun reddit story about the Mitchell shoe tree.

The Shaniko shoe tree: Visitors flocked to the ghost town of Shaniko in part to see its popular shoe tree, which also met a devastating end.

The Juntura shoe tree: Like the one in Shaniko, the Juntura shoe tree drew visitors from all over before it was destroyed.

Rumored shoe trees, based on social media reports

A few more shoe trees are rumored to exist around the state, based on reports circulating on social media, though they haven’t been independently confirmed:

• Frenchglen shoe tree: Rumored to sit off Highway 205.
• Biggs shoe tree: Rumored to sit off Highway 97.
• Highway 20 shoe tree: Rumored to sit off Highway 20 near Albany.
• Vale shoe tree: Rumored to be located near Vale.

Oregon isn’t the only state with shoe trees

Shoe trees aren’t unique to Oregon. Similar trees have popped up across the country, from the Nevada desert to backroads in the Midwest, proving that the tradition has taken root well beyond the Pacific Northwest.