When you walk into any ghetto around the world, there is always a common thread that unites them. Beyond the low standard of living, beyond songs that tell stories of the ghetto and its struggles, beyond the presence of drugs, police brutality, and crime, something else stands out.

The act of hanging shoes on power lines is something I’ve always found fascinating. Whenever you walk around and look closely, you’ll often see shoes—especially sneakers—dangling from power lines.

I first noticed this mainly in American music videos, particularly in hip hop, a genre closely associated with Black Americans. This sparked many questions for me. Since many Africans, including myself, are heavily influenced by American music and fashion, I believe we have adopted this practice and style in many ways.

Back in Kenya, for our Kibanda Stories series, I decided to walk through different neighborhoods specifically searching for shoes tangled on power lines. Whenever I spotted one, I conducted my own investigation by asking questions or gathering stories about why the shoes were there and if there were any backstories.

I received a variety of responses—some hilarious, others thought-provoking. Overall, the feedback gave me exactly what I was looking for.

Some of the feedback I received about the shoes hanging from power lines is as follows.

First, they are often seen as a tribute to fallen soldiers—when a young man from the neighborhood passes away and was well-known or loved, his sneakers are hung there in remembrance.

Second, some believe the shoes represent gang members who were killed by the police; fellow gangsters hang the shoes to honor their memory.

Third, there is a claim that hanging shoes indicate that drugs, such as marijuana, are sold nearby, serving as a marker for drug activity in the area. What have you heard about shoes on power line?

The entire Kibanda Stories series on this topic will be featured on our social media accounts, so stay tuned for this content.

written by Olwah