What do folks make of the black and white checked shoe that was floating in the water? Have we seen anyone in fb or on island wearing that sort of shoe? It might obviously tie in with the light/dark imagery or refer to the chess game that's the template for Carroll's Through the Looking Glass.

Cardie

It was Charlies shoe. He has had them since S1. They are Vans, by the way. I have the same pair. ;)

(Yes I am a dork & saw those shoes @the mall. Said to myself "I gotta have me some Charlie shoes!" $45. And they are awesome!)

I think I recall seeing Charlie wearing them - in other words, they showed them on his feet at least once or twice before. Interesting about white/black and possible tie ins... I did wonder when we saw them floating if there's more to them.

Ah, I thought he took them off in the boat. Still fit in very nicely with the symbolism.

Cardie

That's Charlie's shoe, or maybe you meant is there someone else with that kind of shoe? He was wearing the checkered shoes on the flight. I remember a thread in General Theories from way back that was listing game references in the show, and the shoes were on it.

My initial thought as the shoe floated down was that it wasn't a game anymore, if it ever was. At least it isn't a game for Charlie.:frown:

They showed Charlie wearing them quite a bit in season one. I think they showed him dumping sand out of them one time, and hiding drugs in them another time.. if I remember correctly

Totally Charlie's shoes.

They're the only shoes Charlie wears. He's had them all three seasons. It was highly symbolic to see him lose them at this moment, just like his ring. All the trappings of his former junkie life are being shed and a new Charlie is being born. Very moth like and emerging in the moon pool just sealed the symbolism.

That was the single most compelling visual ever in Lost.

Better even than shirtless Sawyer, which I thought would never be topped.

Speaking of chess, I noticed Pryce (Ben's chief goon?) and one of the other Others was playing chess in the camp. Definate allusion to Through The Looking Glass.

That shot reminded me of the one from the Pilot with the shoe hanging in the tree.

That was the single most compelling visual ever in Lost.

Better even than shirtless Sawyer, which I thought would never be topped.

Wasn't it though? Even his guitar got an arrow in the neck. Everything that Charlie thought he was, every layer was peeled away, to reveal the true courageous soul with a good heart inside. Everything I always knew he was beneath the drugs, the fear, the lies, the poor self image. This is the real Charlie.

reminded me of the end to the Guns N' Roses video for "Estranged"

All the trappings of his former junkie life are being shed and a new Charlie is being born. Very moth like and emerging in the moon pool just sealed the symbolism.
You are down with the Charlie symbolism! Yes, water has been Charlie's bane, but also his way to salvation - hence his need to have Aaron baptized in Fire + Water. If/when he does make it back alive (and this helps point to that), he will need new shoes to go with his new-found appreciation for living.

That shot reminded me of the one from the Pilot with the shoe hanging in the tree.
I thought so too! I felt a lot of season 1 flashes tonight, and not just because of the ensemble feel - the shoe, the radio tower, Rose, and obviously, the flashback to the night of the crash. I'm also thinking a lot of fair Joanna, although it wasn't exactly the pilot when she drowned.

yeah the shoe was a great visual. It was a reference back to the Charlie of S1 - drug addict - because that's where he kept his drug. The shoe falling off was like a symbol of him "shaking off" his past.

IMO - I think TPTB - they have a shoe fetish. :biggrin:

It was very pivotal scene for the Charlie character.

$45 eh?
man I had a pair of slipons like that back when they were first in style 12 years ago! Cost me like $10 Im sure
haha

So much symbolism...
I immediately thought of the waving of a checkered flag as I watched it move back and forth as it sunk. The checkered flag is waved to indicate the finish of the race.

Add to the list of checkered shoe symbolism, the end of Charlie's race. Did he come in a winner or a looser?

Very strange...I happened to have put on my gray hoodie and Checkerboards today, totally not thinking about Charlie's costume. Charlie's looked like the gray/white ones they have now, but they could also just be dirty.

I especially liked the shot of Charlie taking his hood off when he see Claire. Very poignant.

That's Charlie's shoe, or maybe you meant is there someone else with that kind of shoe? He was wearing the checkered shoes on the flight. I remember a thread in General Theories from way back that was listing game references in the show, and the shoes were on it.

My initial thought as the shoe floated down was that it wasn't a game anymore, if it ever was. At least it isn't a game for Charlie.:frown:
They showed Charlie wearing them quite a bit in season one. I think they showed him dumping sand out of them one time, and hiding drugs in them another time.. if I remember correctly
Yep...he retrieved his drugs out of them in the loo ;) on the plane...

Those shoes sparked my Game References/Charlie's Shoes thread (http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?t=15339)...

So much symbolism...
I immediately thought of the waving of a checkered flag as I watched it move back and forth as it sunk. The checkered flag is waved to indicate the finish of the race.

Add to the list of checkered shoe symbolism, the end of Charlie's race. Did he come in a winner or a looser?
With the checkered shoe sinking in the water...I couldn't help but think "game's over"...
because of the spoilers about Charlie dying, which I hope is not the case.
But maybe it meant that LOST is a game?:confused:

I especially liked the shot of Charlie taking his hood off when he see Claire. Very poignant.

ooooh, there was that, too..
and wasn't their dialog great?

It was an ad for Vans shoes. they probably paid too much for the placement. ;)

I'm not even a big Charlie fan, but I know those are Charlie's shoes. And that visual made me completely lose it and bust out crying.:cry:

They're the only shoes Charlie wears. He's had them all three seasons. It was highly symbolic to see him lose them at this moment, just like his ring. All the trappings of his former junkie life are being shed and a new Charlie is being born. Very moth like and emerging in the moon pool just sealed the symbolism.

Great interpretation! :thumbsup:

Seeing the shoe reminded me of other moments where shoes were shown, and unfortunately most seemed to be foreshadowing that things were not "good":

-A shoe hanging in a tree when Jack first wakes up and starts making his way out of the jungle (Pilot)

-Kate removing hiking boots from a deceased person prior to going to look for the cockpit (Pilot, Part 2)

-Sawyer and Hurley finding Paulo and spotting his shoe in a tree, and later it's revealed that Nikki threw it there prior to her becoming paralyzed. We all know what the outcome for them was... (Expose)


I'm sure there are more, but off the top of my head those are the ones I can think of, and generally the mood of thoses scenes were not pleasant, so I think that visual was meant to leave us with an uneasy feeling. As well as what pacejunkie said above, which I think was brilliant. :smile:

I thought it was a metaphor for Charlie's choice to be the hero that Nadia told him he was.

I thought, wow, this is his greatest hit.

Then I thought, wow, is that shoe floating upwards? Do shoes float?

That was the single most compelling visual ever in Lost.

Better even than shirtless Sawyer, which I thought would never be topped.

I would have to disagree with that. Desmond's bronzed back while he carried Claire up the beach is the topper for me, followed by Desmond's back as he does pull ups in the hatch. Then I will go with Sawyer shirtless and Charlie's shoe.
I did wonder what the importance of him losing a shoe were. Of course I was reminded of the purple and pink vans I had back in the 80's, they were the best, but I don't think that's what the producers were shooting for. But shoes do seem to be a running theme, shoes and the lack of them.

I don't think the shoe floating has any mystery behind it... It was supposed to lead us to think that Charlie was on his way to being lost or killed off. His shoe was left behind and he was on his way to death. Some things are worth looking into, in this case I don't think the writers would use his shoe as a device...

Great interpretation! :thumbsup:

Seeing the shoe reminded me of other moments where shoes were shown, and unfortunately most seemed to be foreshadowing that things were not "good":

-A shoe hanging in a tree when Jack first wakes up and starts making his way out of the jungle (Pilot)

-Kate removing hiking boots from a deceased person prior to going to look for the cockpit (Pilot, Part 2)

-Sawyer and Hurley finding Paulo and spotting his shoe in a tree, and later it's revealed that Nikki threw it there prior to her becoming paralyzed. We all know what the outcome for them was... (Expose)


I'm sure there are more, but off the top of my head those are the ones I can think of, and generally the mood of thoses scenes were not pleasant, so I think that visual was meant to leave us with an uneasy feeling. As well as what pacejunkie said above, which I think was brilliant. :smile:

Interesting thought. What does that say about Sawyer's lack of shoes when going off to kill Cooper?

I, too, thought the scene was poignant and heartbreaking. I almost cried 3 or 4 times - this was one of them. I like the idea that it was Charlie becoming who he really was inside, shedding the last bit of his old life.

That was the single most compelling visual ever in Lost.

Better even than shirtless Sawyer, which I thought would never be topped.

So, for you, that moment is...topless?

When I saw the shoe, my first thought was of the shoe in the tree in the pilot epi...Paulo's shoe in the tree when Nikki threw it looking for the diamonds and many other "shoe" moments (Kate taking the shoes off of that dead dude for instance)

There is some symbolism with the shoe thing...don't know what it is tho.

We know one shoe is Paulo's and one shoe is Charlie's...what we don't know is who belongs to the pilot epi shoe.

These mean something and I would love to hear what y'all think.

TPTB have a shoe fetish... :biggrin:






My thoughts about Charlie's shoe is that it was a symbol of him "kicking" off the "old Charlie" who was a junkie, unsure, and afraid. If you recall, he has had those shoes since Season 1 or for 90 days as Jack said in the episode last night. Also, he was hiding his drugs in his shoe on the airplane. It could respresent the drug habit he "kicked" while he was on the Island as well.

Charlie has overcome many personal obstacles in his life since crashing on the Island. He kicked a drug habit, he killed a man who hurt Claire, he's taken care of Claire and Aaron and grown to love both of them. He got Aaron back from Danielle when she took him.

It was a personal statement of growth for Charlie. He was sacrificing his life for someone he loved.

Totally get that...nicely written!

Now my question is this...do you think that the symbolism ties in with the other lone shoes that we have seen since 1 minute into the pilot episode?

Why is the camera always locked on to a single shoe?

Have any of you heard of the 'LOST is a game' theory? There's an entire site devoted to this theory at lostisagame.com. I believe that the black and white shoe is an piece of evidence towards that idea.

Desmond will wake up and fish the shoe out of the water to prove Charlie is 'dead' to everyone. That's all the floating shoe was, just proof Charlie dived in to be a hero and save them all. He said 'this time you have to die Charlie' so he will paddle back alone and give the shoe to Clare!!

One foot in the grave

They're the only shoes Charlie wears. He's had them all three seasons. It was highly symbolic to see him lose them at this moment, just like his ring. All the trappings of his former junkie life are being shed and a new Charlie is being born. Very moth like and emerging in the moon pool just sealed the symbolism.Very deep, very profound.... I like it and totally agree :cool:

If I had to venture a guess, I would say that the shoe thing is symbolic of that charachter having to take a voyage of some sort. This may be persoal or literal. Kate jacks a pair of shoes, goes on a literal hike and also an emotional one. I think Charlie's shoe deal is similar.

He believes he is going on the greatest voyage of all, one to the other side, and we get a nice shot of his Vans floating away. However, now that he is alive and apparantly a captive, he is about to go on an emotional voyage. Of all of our losties, most would agree that Charlie is really up in the air as far as his state of mind is concerned.

When I saw the shoe, my first thought was of the shoe in the tree in the pilot epi...Paulo's shoe in the tree when Nikki threw it looking for the diamonds and many other "shoe" moments (Kate taking the shoes off of that dead dude for instance)

There is some symbolism with the shoe thing...don't know what it is tho.

We know one shoe is Paulo's and one shoe is Charlie's...what we don't know is who belongs to the pilot epi shoe.

These mean something and I would love to hear what y'all think.
The shoe in the Pilot episode belonged to Jack's father, Christian - well thats the impression i always got because there was an early scene with Christian wearing white sneakers in the operating theatre or something (t'is a long time ago, i forgets). Also dont forget Dave's slipper..:biggrin:

Essentially i think that the one shoe thing is indeed symbolic like some of the guys here have said. Personally i think that in this instance it represents Charlie letting go..losing some of the baggage that has shaped him into the person he became, the person who thought he wasnt a hero, as he is now, finally redeeming himself. Redemption is a big theme in Lost and i think that Charlie's sacrifice is symbolised in him losing the shoe - the same shoe that he stashed his drugs in back in the pilot..