You'll soon see some peculiar statues of sneakers popping up around Mishawaka. The year-long project comes from Mayor Dave Wood and several of our area high school students. The Mayor's Youth Council raised over $150,000 to install the city-wide art piece, and we have a sneak peek on Friday. Between 1950 and 1970, Mishawaka was commonly known as Shoe City, USA. That name was earned through the mass production of a cultural phenomenon fueled by the Ball Band Factory.