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Shoe near Pueblo, Colorado. © 2006 Deidre Adams

Why are there so many single shoes out there in the universe? This is a question that has always plagued me. I’m not the only one who thinks about this, as evidenced by the great discussion of the question at The Straight Dope.

I wish I had a photo of every single shoe I’ve seen lying by the side of the road, sadly forlorn and bereft of its mate. Unfortunately, the single shoe rarely appears when I’m prepared with camera in hand, as it did for this extreme example in the photo above. But still, every time I see one, I have a burning desire to know how that shoe got there. This one must have been here in this exact spot, less than 500 feet from the road on Interstate 25 just north of Pueblo, Colorado, for many years, completely undisturbed. What’s the story?

Well, I think I’ve found the answer, in this video by Spike Jonze.