of the quick release type used with construction equipment permitting quick detachment for purposes of a wider shoe such as substitution of the later described shoe a compactor shoe 15 comprises an imperforate plate reinforced by lengthwise orientated bars 16 spaced from the shoe lengthwise centerline to receive shank portion 13 in a manner permitting shoe movement about the axis of pin 14 the bars 16 are welded along their lower edges to the upper side of shoe 15 to reinforce the shoe against compaction loads an inclined surface of the shoe is indicated at 17 and is embodied within an upwardly inclined shoe portion while similarly the trailing inclined surface of the shoe is indicated at 18 the leading and trailing edges are relieved at 17a and 18a to avoid penetration of the trench walls with the tool traveling in the direction of the applied arrow in fig2 leading edge 17 will cause the shoe to assume an inclined attitude as it progressively compacts the material traversed the extremes of shoe travel about the axis of pin 14 are shown in broken lines a helical spring 19 interconnects the shoe and shank 12 for pre positioning the shoe upwardly prior to ground contact while the terms leading and trailing are applied to the shoe it is to be understood that the shoe is operative in both directions as viewed in fig1 a shoe 15 is of a width permitting passage through a trench t approximately 6 inches in width to compact fines deposited therein over a previously laid conduit.