'Put.It.Back.': Woman Finds Child's Shoe in Walls of Centuries

While renovating her home in Reedsburg, Wisconsin, a woman stumbled on something she was not expecting—a single child's shoe.

"I don't know why it was there. I read people used to hide shoes to keep evil spirits away, or for good luck," homeowner Kelly Wallace told Newsweek. "It was owned by the same family until we bought it a couple years ago. Research showed they moved to the area in the late 1800s," she said. "But the exact date of the house is unknown."

When Wallace moved into the centuries-old home, there was plenty of work to be done to make it fit for modern living. Renovations began in the bathroom and, while ripping up the old floorboards, the family stumbled on a single child's shoe.

Hiding a shoe in your home has been a superstitious practice for many years. Most commonly, children's shoes are found in unusual places of old buildings including chimney breasts, walls and under window sills. In most cases, there will be a single shoe, usually belonging to a child and well-worn.

Most commonly found in parts of the U.K., through the 18th and 19th centuries homeowners would often hide a single shoe in their home to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck. Shoes have also been omens of good luck for newlywed couples when they were thrown behind them and later tied to cars. A single shoe has also been a symbol of fertility.

There are few records of the practice, but officials at Northamptonshire Museum and Art Gallery in the U.K. say that this is likely because secrecy was an essential part.

Hidden objects are often personal items. Well-worn shoes were thought to be infused with the good spirit of the wearer, and when placed in a weak spot of a house, would help ward off any evil spirits that may try to do harm to the home or its occupants.

Rogue footwear isn't just found in homes, either, as shoes have been found in a range of locations, including factories, hotels, manors and schools.

Inside another 19th-century home, in the Malvern Hills of England, a couple stumbled on a "creepy" fully intact well below their kitchen.

Another couple were stunned to stumble on what they thought was a "witch bundle," including a chicken bone wrapped in string when exploring the attic of their 1960s home.

Wallace posted the find on Reddit's r/centuryhomes subreddit where commenters were overwhelmingly terrified of the shoe.

"Put. It. Back." wrote one, while another posted: "I've seen how this ends."

A third Reddit user commented: "Just gonna advise to put it back ASAP."

Wallace didn't put it back, but she does plan to keep the shoe as a piece of interest in her home. "I cleaned and polished the shoe, and we are keeping it on display in the house," she said. "I thought other people might find it as cool as I did."