Here’s something you didn’t know you were going to see today, and depending on whether you love or hate Harry Styles, it’s either going to disgust you or enthrall you (possibly both). The ex-One Direction member and current biggest pop star in the world demonstrated one of Australia’s finest traditions – a shoey.
What’s a shoey, you ask, and why is it an Australian tradition? We’ll get to that in a second, but first, let’s take in all the glory that is Styles gulping from what looks like very used footwear.
Look at him go! The singer threw back his head to finish every last drop of whatever liquid was in his Adidas Sambas and then proceeded to put his shoe back on. I’m not here to judge anyone’s behavior but from a strictly sanitary standpoint that can’t be good – health-wise.
Perhaps he’s using the old adage “When in Rome” but applying it to Australia because a shoey is a very common and not at all looked down upon thing there. Styles isn’t even the first international pop star to do a shoey either. Back in 2019, singer Post Malone did one to wild applause during a concert in Brisbane.
Malone is perhaps even less sanitary about the whole thing because he used an audience member’s shoe.
I imagine it’s hard not to do one when the whole crown is constantly yelling “shoey” at you.
So where did this “tradition” of drinking from a shoe come from? Apparently not in Australia at all, according to Dmarge. The shoey actually started in a whorehouse in Chicago in 1902. According to legend, one of the “dancers” dropped a slipper, and a member of Prussia’s Prince Henry’s group picked it up and drank champagne out of it. I’m sure they were all very sober when it happened.
Another theory is that it started with German soldiers who would drink from a boot after a victory, which isn’t surprising in the least from the country that gave us Oktoberfest. As for Australia, it’s mostly credited to Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo, who did a shoey back in 2016 after he placed on the podium at the German Grand Prix.
He did it again in Belgium and Malaysia and even got other drivers in on the act. Now, if Ricciardo finishes anywhere on the podium, it’s pretty much a guarantee that you’re going to see a shoey. Unfortunately, doctors do not recommend shoeys, as they can lead to illness – you can get staph (a terrible and hard-to-beat infection) from a shoey as well as severe gastrointestinal problems.
No word yet on whether Styles felt any adverse effects from the crowd-pleasing act.