City of Boston spends $50K putting tennis shoes on statues

BOSTON (AP) -- Benjamin Franklin has roller skates. Samuel Adams, a pair of hip new running shoes. As for stodgy old George Washington, he's sporting purple velvet boots.

What's up with the Founding Fathers' footwear?

That's what people in Boston have been asking the past few days after some of the city's most venerable statues began sporting a new look.

Turns out it wasn't a prank, as some first suspected. It's an idea Mayor Tom Menino had to promote the idea that people should use their feet more and their cars less.

The so-called "Sneakers on Statues" campaign is part of a $50,000 effort to showcase Boston's "walkability" to tourists. Menino says it's especially timely when you consider the price of gas these days.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)