These are the shoes of mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, wives and husbands, searching for their loved ones who have disappeared in Mexico. These shoes have walked the country wearing down their soles. They have been to ministries and to mass graves, on marches and to meetings, demanding to know: where are they?
Since the war on drugs began in Mexico at the end of 2006, over 30,500 people have been recorded as disappeared, however this is seen by relatives organizations as a conservative reflection of the true picture, as people are fearful of reporting. Disappearance is also not only a recent issue, but has been a tactic used with continuity for decades, as the shoes testify.
Footprints of Memory has developed into a collective project, with a group of people engraving and printing in Mexico City; relatives donating shoes from all across Mexico and beyond: Colombia, Argentina, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador; and with translations into English, French, German, Italian, and Japanese. These are just some of the shoes already engraved and printed, and the project is growing. It will continue to denounce disappearance in Mexico, to tell the stories of those who are searching.
