The One Shoe Theory – Why You’ll Never Look at Roadside Shoes the Same Way Again

 This short, light-hearted episode breaks from the heavy stories as Jim shares his “One Shoe Theory” — a roadside mystery turned playful life lesson — guaranteed to make you smile every time you spot a lone shoe on the highway. 

How Did We Get Here? — real stories about the choices, cracks, and crossroads that shape us.

Transcript

Picture this:
 You’ve just spent the last two hours packing the car.

Food, drinks, snacks — check.
 Suitcases crammed in the trunk — check.
 Every light in the house shut off — check.
 The toys, the books, the blankets for the kids all loaded — check.

Finally… it’s time.
 Time for that sixteen-hour road trip you’ve been dreading since last year.

The first few hours? Uneventful.
 Highway stretched out in front of you.
 Kids in the backseat already asking, “Are we there yet?”
 You’re tired, maybe a little restless.

And then — bam.
 There it is.

A single shoe.

Not a pair.
 Not sneakers tied together by the laces.
 Just… one.

Ever wonder why it’s always just one?
 I did — until I came up with a theory.

I first started noticing it on those long trips — Louisiana up to New York. Later, Houston to New York. Even when I was driving in the UK, I’d catch it out of the corner of my eye.

First time, you don’t think much about it.
 Maybe some kids tossed it out the window.
 Maybe somebody had their foot hanging out, shoe dangling, and it slipped off.

But then you see another one.
 And another.
 And another.

And if you travel far enough and often enough it starts to wear on your mind.
 Why is there only one shoe?

And not just one type either. I’ve seen them all:
 Dress shoes, sneakers, slippers, sandals.
 Men’s, women’s, kids’.
 Every size, every shape.
 But always — just one.

After a while it wasn’t enough to just notice.
 I started asking people I knew, “Why is there only one shoe on the side of the road?”
 Most of the time, all I got were shrugs.

From that moment on, every time I spotted a lone shoe, I’d wonder.
 Why?
 What am I missing?
 What are the possible explanations?

And you’ve got to remember — back then there was no internet.
 No Google to run to for an answer.

So as time went by, I came up with my own.
 And I didn’t feel the need to ask anymore.

That’s when the theory hit me.

What if people are being abducted?

And the reason we only see one shoe is because you’re not allowed to bring two onto the spacecraft.

Sounds silly, right?
 Or does it?

Here’s how I figure it works:

They wait in the woods.
 Watching.
 Until they see a car break down. Happens all the time.

The owner calls for help.
 And they wait. Sometimes for a long time.

That’s when they move in.

They radio the ship:
 “Blob blop blop… guppy guppy… we got one.”

Ship hovers overhead.
 Beam of light.
 Person’s gone.

Now, you might be asking, “Well, what about the car?”

Easy.
 Tow truck driver shows up a little later. Sees nobody around.
 And being the conscientious driver he is, he hooks it up and tows it to the nearest garage, thinking that’s where the owner’s going to end up anyway.

So all that’s left behind…
 is the shoe.

And there you have it.
 My One Shoe Theory.

Now does this sound ridiculous?
 Maybe.

But here’s the funny thing:

Every time someone I’ve told this story to sees a lone shoe on the side of the road… they smile.
 They think about it.
 And they remember.

And maybe — just maybe — that’s the point.

Life doesn’t always give us the whole picture.
 Sometimes all we get is the one shoe — the part of the story we can see.
 The other half is missing, and we’re left to make sense of it the best we can.

And that sticks with us.

So next time you’re driving down the highway and you see a single shoe sitting there by itself…
 don’t worry.

They’re not gone forever.
 They’re just… on the spacecraft.

Don’t believe me? Hey, prove me wrong.
 Got your own theory? I’d love to hear it.

This is How Did We Get Here?
A podcast about the choices, cracks, and crossroads that shape us.

I’m Jim Richmond.
 And I’m still here for a reason.
 Maybe you are too.