by Jeff Shaw
On a recent drive to Mayflower Beach (bay side), I spotted a curious sight. Something you surely have seen before, perhaps in your neighborhood; discarded shoes. But these pairs were not merely abandoned on the side of the road, they were nailed neatly to a telephone pole!
As most locals, insiders, and GPS afficionados may know, Tubman Road in Brewster is a wonderful short cut to Route 6A from Chatham. The intersection of Route 137 and Route 6A tends to back-up from vehicles attempting to turn left on the bustling Kings Highway. Drivers and bikers alike can avoid the slog and exhaust fumes by barring left just after the Cape Cod Rail Trail crossing near Ferretti’s.
This curious “shoe pole” can be found along a wooded area about a quarter of a mile from the Brewster Sportsman’s and Civic Club. My first theory attempted to connect the shoes and the gun range, perhaps target practice fodder. Alas, most of the footwear appear in remarkably good shape.
About three dozen shoes hang, sadly, like a Christmas tree in February. Sagging and out of place. To continue with the analogy, the “ornaments” range considerably, from flip-flops, to hiking boots, to running shoes, of all sizes and colors. If the shoes didn’t have a nail hammered through the toe box, they would probably be eligible for donation.
As for the backstory, details are thin. As in non-existent. My half-ass internet research (a term of endearment coined by Bill Simmons of the Rewatchables Podcast) revealed a similar footwear telephone pole in Perkins, Missouri of all places. Sadly, there was no obvious connection to Cape Cod. Yet another theory debunked.
Interestingly, there have been past attacks on telephone poles in Brewster. Just last summer, a FedEx truck “struck one pole, toppled another and damaged a third while knocking out power for over 200 neighbors.” Fortunately, the driver was not injured and no pedestrians were involved in the accident.
That incident happened at Slough Road at James Burr Road, over four miles from Tubman Road, so a FedEx related theory is also unlikely.
So, three thin theories, all of which have been debunked. Looks like local intel will be needed to solve the mystery. Otherwise, the shoe pole will just remain a curious sight along a short cut to Cape Cod Bay.
April 4, 2022