I want to be careful about how I write this because I am aware that it could be taken the wrong way. I do not believe in mythical shoes. I document shoes. That is what I do.
What I will say is that since around 2015 there have been a number of reports — five in total, from four different people — of a shoe in the Heckmondwike area that does not seem to have a straightforward explanation. I did not name it The Heckmondwike. That name appears to have accumulated from people who had seen Barry's posts on the forum. I have not encouraged this.
I keep a folder. I do not want to say more than that at this stage.
I had received two reports in the previous eighteen months that described a shoe consistent with the Heckmondwike reports. I will not describe it in detail here because I do not want to influence future submissions. What I will say is that the description was specific enough that I took notice.
I went out to Emley Moor on a Saturday in October on the basis of these reports. Good walking country — I know the paths up there reasonably well. Set off at half seven. Flask, sandwiches, field notebook, camera. I brought the folding stool. I had a feeling about it.
About an hour and twenty minutes from where I'd parked, in a hollow just below the ridge path, I found a shoe. Left boot. In reasonable condition. I stood still for a while before I went near it. I took seventeen photographs before I moved. Not all of them came out.
I sat with it for over an hour. I had my sandwiches. Cheese and pickle. It were a clear day — you could see Emley Moor mast from up there, which I always find reassuring. I sat on the stool and I looked at the shoe and I wrote in my notebook.
I drove home. I looked at the photographs and I looked at my notes and I compared them with what I had in the folder. I thought about it for several days.
It wasn't the one. I'm fairly certain. I logged it as Shoe #291 and I've moved on. But I noted everything carefully and I keep the file.
I have not been back to Emley Moor since. I'll go when I'm ready.
Barry from Dewsbury claims to have seen The Heckmondwike twice. Once in 2014 and once in 2019. I want to be clear that I am not saying Barry is wrong. Barry has been submitting sightings since 2013 and his photography has improved significantly. He is a serious person about this.
What I will say is that he did not have his camera on either occasion. In 2014 he had a phone but the light was against him. In 2019 he had nothing. I've asked him to describe what he saw and he has, twice now, in some detail. I keep his descriptions in the folder. I have written back to him at length both times.
I do not discount Barry's reports. I have simply not been able to confirm them, and until I can confirm something I will not say it is confirmed. That is how I do things.
There is a photograph. It was taken in 2019 by someone Barry knows in Batley. I have seen it. I am not going to publish it here because it is not sharp enough for me to be confident, and I do not publish photographs I am not confident in. That is not how I do things.
If you believe you have seen The Heckmondwike, please submit a sighting and mention it clearly in the notes. Be as specific as you can about the location. A photograph is very helpful, even a blurry one — I will assess it properly. I respond to all sightings personally and I take this seriously.
I am not in a rush. If it's out there it will still be out there. That's the nature of shoes.
My nephew Gary suggested I look into donations as a way to help cover the travel costs for this specific investigation. Gary now lives in Swindon but he helped me set this up remotely in an evening. It works, though it looks a bit different on different browsers. I am not sure why.
Any amount goes toward petrol, sandwiches, and flask-filling for future search trips. I keep a record of all contributions and I mention them in the relevant trip report when I write it up.
This links to PayPal. Gary sorted the technical side. I am not entirely sure how it works on his end. If you have any trouble, you are welcome to email me directly.