The Level’s shoe tree is to be felled after becoming infected with Dutch elm disease.
Signs were put up on the trainer-festooned tree, which stands next to the old skate park location on the east of the park, informing people of the infecton last month and its days are now numbered.
It caught the disease from three trees which stood on the other side of the cycle lane which came down last year, despite the council’s aboricultural team’s attempts to stop it spreading.
A spokeswoman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: “We do not have an exact date for when the tree will be felled but it will be very soon.
“Unfortunately, although we did carry out root trenching in order to stem the spread from the trees that came down last year, we were unsuccessful and this tree became infected.
“As a silver lining, the two trees next to the shoe tree are not Elms so this should help by forming a natural barrier against the spread of Elm disease via the root systems of the infected Elm.”
The shoes have been in the tree since at least 2011, when The Argus reported on the phenomenon, the year before the Level restoration took place and the skate park moved to its current location.
Shoe trees and shoe tossing is common across the world, and particularly in the US. There are many theories as to why it happens, from skaters not wanting to throw away used shoes, to mark the loss of the wearer’s virginity, drug dealing code or art installations.
What will become of the shoes? Will the arboriculture team be putting them in one of the remaining trees?
The shoes have been removed and are currently ina safe place. I hope to make an exhibit to mark 40 years of the Level Army and Pig City involvement in local skateboarding and have some of the trainers on show alongside a cross section of tree’s trunk when it’s felled in the autumn. Also to have a memorial tree planted in memory of the Shoe tree and the start of Skateboarding. As for the trainers the designs will be looked up with the companies who made them. Photos done and other media data added. There are other ideas as well. Some may make their way back to their owners. I am hoping to get Pig City and other board shops involved; past Level Army members as well as historical aspects involving the elms to which I am involved in.