Just about every kind of shoe can be seen hanging from the branches and trunk of the “Tree of Soles,” a Lafayette Parish landmark where people come to bare their souls and leave behind their soles.
This unique roadside shrine is found off Cocodril Road, between Scott and Duson. Locals visit the site to hang their shoes and offer a prayer so that the burdens of their souls may be lighter, according to a sign posted on the tree.
Before Hurricane Lili hit in 2002, the tradition centered around one tree, with each shoe representing a unique story…