THE SHOE TREE

Did you ever see a tree with shoes for leaves? No? Well you’ve never seen the Shoe Tree east of Fallon, in full bloom with shoes of every size and kind. Even some roller blades and skis.

Whassup with that? Well, the story goes...

A couple was traveling through Nevada on their way to be married when they saw a lovely shade tree on the side of the road. It was hot and it had been a long drive, and they still had a long way to go. So, they decided to stop and rest under the tree, have a drink, chat about their future, and share their dreams.

The two sat under the tree and kicked off their shoes. The sun was high and hot, but the air under the tree was cool, and the canopy of leaves comforting. They conversed for some time before their exchange suddenly grew heated. The intimate nature of the conversation isn’t known. What is known is that the young woman grew furious, picked up her fiancee’s shoes and tossed them high up into the tree where they stuck, hopelessly out of reach of the young man. The woman then calmly gathered her shoes, put them on, walked to the car, and without turning back, sped off into the desert leaving her barefoot ex-fiancee behind.

The next couple that stopped for a rest under the tree shared a similar fate. The woman, while looking up in exasperation, spied the dangling pair of shoes and was instantly inspired...

This happened a number of times before the shoes in the tree became obvious and easy for passers by to see. The urge to contribute shoes to the tree has afflicted hundreds of others over the years so that now the tree is filled with footwear: an odd ode to the primal calling many feel in the high Nevada desert.

The shoe tree is located on the north side of Hwy 50 about 60 miles east of Fallon near Old Middlegate.