Not only has the carpet served as a background for scores of shoe photos, but the carpet has been a muse of sorts for the design of shoes, too. In 2015 Adidas began selling the first edition of Portland Trailblazer Damian Lillard’s signature basketball shoe line and the carpet’s motif was an element of the shoe’s design. That same year, the carpet underwent an anthropomorphism before being given the moniker “Peedee,” then was named the Grand Marshal of Portland’s annual Starlight Parade. Though I don’t normally track such things, I would be surprised if there were many grand marshal posts held by rolls of carpet.

Since fame can be so elusive and trending hashtags arrive and fizzle faster than summertime sparklers, why is the carpet such a touchstone for the city?  Why would hundreds of travelers, in the throes of the scurry that is air travel, pause, take a photo, then upload and tag a photo–a photo of the same pose that has been taken over and over and over?

The Port of Portland, the entity that oversees the airport, rolled out the design of the carpet in 1987.  The celebrated design is based on the layout of PDX’s runways. One of the designers of the carpet, SRG principal John Schleuning said in a 2013 Portland Monthly interview that a goal of using carpet throughout was to make the airport less noisy and to provide an appreciably warmer ambience than that of most airports at the time.  Hushed footfalls could have something to do with the fact that Portland International Airport is the best airport in America.  No, really.  In 2017 Travel+Leisure named PDX “America’s Best Domestic Airport,” as it has every year since 2013.  The airport has also scored consistently high in annual large airport rating by J.D. Power and Associates.  The airport is pleasant.  Besides sales-tax free shopping at local retailers and prominent local restaurants, there is also free wifi, and the waiting areas are clean and comfortable.

In a city that has many nicknames, Portland’s appreciation of its airport has seeped into much of the city’s culture. The International Air Transport Association’s code for Portland International Airport is KPDX and PDX is one of the city’s more affectionate nicknames.

By the end of 2017, most of the 1987 pattern had been replaced. As crews began stripping 13 acres of carpet, section by section, from the floor, a few 1000 square feet rolls were auctioned off. The carpet lots were re-purposed and sold as everything from area rugs, to mouse pads and holiday ornaments by enterprising individuals. And the pattern can be found on souvenirs and everyday items like socks and umbrellas.

Although the carpet that originally sparked the carpet picture practice is mostly gone now, the tradition of snapping a photo of one’s feet firmly planted once more PDX carpet continues with the new pattern. Why? The expansive rug is among the first points of connection with a beloved city. Upon their returns from travels and being dazzled by the excitement of faraway places, the ritual provides grounding for Portlanders and is a reminder that Portland is not Boston, Portland is not London or any of the places between. But whether Portland is home or PDX is the gateway to an adventure, posting photos of their feet on the very threshold of the city lets the whole world know we have returned and stand on the doormat of our futures.