Ottawa, Illinois: Shoe Tree

I have driven by this shoe tree many times over the past few years and it is typically covered in hundreds of shoes. However, the last time I drove through there were hardly any shoes on the tree. I am not sure what happened, but it needs more shoes now!

Many of the older shoes have fallen to the ground and have been mowed over, but have been replaced over the years. The ice skates are no longer hanging up:( a disappointment. I accidentally overshot when I threw my shoes and helped to add to another shoe tree nearby:). Erica and Madison.

A large tree in Illinois, with hundreds of shoes on it! At the intersection of Illinois 23 and U.S. 52 on the southeast corner.

My son wanted to know if the grass wasn't mowed because the owner didn't want to hurt the shoes that didn't make it :)

There is a "shoe tree" at the southern intersection of US-52 & Illinois Route 23 near Ottawa, IL. It is in a cluster of a few trees across 23 from a farm house and barn. It's not as big as many of the other shoe trees featured on RoadsideAmerica.com (yet), but it is an odd sight in the middle of the farm land. It has about 30 or so pairs of shoes and boots on it so far, and even a pair of ice skates. It's the first shoe tree we've ever seen, and we were happy to do our part in adding two more pairs of boots to it.