# Were "concrete shoes" a favored technique of mob hitmen? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [November 14, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-concrete-shoes-a-favored-technique-of-mob-hitmen/472752 "2008-11-14T19:24:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-concrete-shoes-a-favored-technique-of-mob-hitmen/472752/21 "2008-11-20T19:05:38Z")
One possible method: 1:Stand your victim up in a five-sided wooden box (floor, four sides, no “roof”) 2:Pour concrete/cement/whatever-purists-want-to-call-that-gray-rock-like-stuff into the box around the victim’s feet and lower legs. The victim’s feet are flat against the wooden bottom of the box, preventing the gray rock-like stuff from flowing under the feet. 3:Wait for the gray rock-like stuff to harden 4:Remove the wooden box from the resulting cube of gray rock-like stuff. The victim’s soles will be visible just as in the episode mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-concrete-shoes-a-favored-technique-of-mob-hitmen/472752/22 "2008-11-20T19:13:25Z")
> [@paperbackwriter](#): > > The victim’s soles will be visible just as in the episode mentioned. He’s not talking about the soles though–toes and a few inches of feet. ---
**Author:** ![SeanArenas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeanArenas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeanArenas)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-concrete-shoes-a-favored-technique-of-mob-hitmen/472752/23 "2008-11-20T19:48:02Z")
Gfactor’s got it - the heels of the feet were in the middle of the concrete block, not at the bottom of it. So, I must assume the victim was sitting down so that their feet were not pushed to the bottom of it. On the 5-sided box you’re talking about, however, the toes would be pushing up against one of the walls. ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-concrete-shoes-a-favored-technique-of-mob-hitmen/472752/24 "2008-11-20T21:10:19Z")
Oh. In that case, its either some very exact carpentry or Hollywood writer’s conceit. ---
**Author:** ![cementlover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/87869e/32.png) [@cementlover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cementlover)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-concrete-shoes-a-favored-technique-of-mob-hitmen/472752/25 "2008-11-28T07:31:30Z")
Which episode was this? I recall one where Bones is examining an old block with shin bones sticking out of it (I didn’t see any toes). The skeleton had broken off. This was at the beginning of the episode. I think it was called “The Killer in the Concrete”? ---
**Author:** ![cementlover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/87869e/32.png) [@cementlover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cementlover)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-concrete-shoes-a-favored-technique-of-mob-hitmen/472752/26 "2008-11-28T07:32:33Z")
> [@SeanArenas](#): > > I saw an episode of Bones where someone’s feet were encased in cement (or concrete or mortar) and dumped in water. > > I found it interesting that although all 6 sides of the concrete shoes were smooth, the toes and a few inches of the feet stuck out the front of the concrete. > > In order to mold a perfect cube of concrete around your HEELS with the front half of your feet hanging out, what kind of contraption do you put the person in? > > Do you see what I mean? I can understand how the ankles and legs are sticking out - that’s the part that’s “up” during the pouring and setting of the hard stuff, but the feet and toes? Which episode was this? I recall one where Bones is examining an old block with shin bones sticking out of it (I didn’t see any toes). The skeleton had broken off. This was at the beginning of the episode. I think it was called “The Killer in the Concrete”? ---
**Author:** ![SeanArenas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeanArenas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeanArenas)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-concrete-shoes-a-favored-technique-of-mob-hitmen/472752/27 "2008-11-28T16:42:08Z")
CL and I talked about this in e-mail, and since I Netflixed the episodes, I can’t re-watch them now to confirm info. It was in the first season of the show - anyone have Two Bodies in the Lab to confirm? ---
**Author:** ![cementlover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/87869e/32.png) [@cementlover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cementlover)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-concrete-shoes-a-favored-technique-of-mob-hitmen/472752/28 "2008-12-11T17:37:09Z")
> [@SeanArenas](#): > > Gfactor’s got it - the heels of the feet were in the middle of the concrete block, not at the bottom of it. So, I must assume the victim was sitting down so that their feet were not pushed to the bottom of it. > > On the 5-sided box you’re talking about, however, the toes would be pushing up against one of the walls. Wow, that must have been real tortuous to watch and feel. Imagine the stuff thickening around your feet and in between your toes as you wriggle them in vain in a desperate attempt to keep it from setting… Talk about custom-fit open-toed shoes… ---
**Author:** ![cementlover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/87869e/32.png) [@cementlover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cementlover)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-concrete-shoes-a-favored-technique-of-mob-hitmen/472752/29 "2008-12-11T17:41:07Z")
> [@SeanArenas](#): > > CL and I talked about this in e-mail, and since I Netflixed the episodes, I can’t re-watch them now to confirm info. It was in the first season of the show - anyone have Two Bodies in the Lab to confirm? I’ve seen “Two bodies in a Lab”, and to me, it looks like a block with shin bones sticking-up out of it. I think this is confirmed when they lay the rest of the skeleton on the table, and you can see that the legs from shins to feet are missing - probably encased in the cement block. Does this sound familiar to you? I have been trying to watch anything that sounds cement-related from Season 1 into Season 2, but still have not found the scene you describe… BTW, here is a shameless plug for my new blog: [http://cementlover.blogspot.com](http://cementlover.blogspot.com). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SeanArenas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeanArenas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeanArenas)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-concrete-shoes-a-favored-technique-of-mob-hitmen/472752/30 "2008-12-12T01:45:16Z")
At the time I made the original post, it had only been a few weeks since I saw the episode. By now, it’s been another few weeks, so my memory of it is even more hazy. I’m on the last disc of season 3 right now, and Netflix has already sent me the first 3 discs of The Closer, so I’m already pretty far from that episode, sorry I couldn’t help more. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-concrete-shoes-a-favored-technique-of-mob-hitmen/472752.md?page=1)