What is a ‘shoey’ and why did Harry Styles do one on stage in Australia?
<p>“Shoey” is Australian slang for having a celebratory drink out of a shoe. Usually the beverage is alcoholic and the celebration follows a sweaty quest to victory. The shoey has become a popular part of some sports and music festival cultures.</p>
<p>As a cultural phenomenon, the shoey represents overcoming adversity - literally drinking out of the vessels that got you over the line. Newly minted Grammy and BRIT award winner Harry Styles did his first Australian concert – and we assume his first shoey – in Perth this week. Here’s the, um, footage (pun intended, sorry).</p>
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<p>One of the most famous supporters of the shoey is racing driver Daniel Ricciardo - someone for whom Styles has shown <a href="https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/music-icon-harry-styles-rocks-daniel-ricciardo-shirt-amid-mclaren-contract-saga/news-story/5bf4ac0d89138918c9599f2b43500990">his own fandom</a>. Footballers, surfers, musicians and various celebrities have also had a go.</p>
<p>Usually, it’s a cultural practice undertaken by men, although marathon runner Des Lindon, inspired by Ricciardo, also celebrated in this way, as did champion golfer <a href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/golf/aussie-golf-star-hannah-green-celebrates-milestone-win-with-a-shoey/news-story/75f2083b8036bac194cc0f94af9b9b21">Hannah Green</a>.</p>
<p>Although Australians have claimed the “shoey”, we are not its only practitioners. </p>
<p>Drinking from boots, or even delicate high heels, is said to have <a href="https://medium.com/the-practical-mythologist/the-bizarre-history-of-drinking-from-womens-shoes-f9a5cef52ddd">started in Europe</a>. There are US and Russian influences too, including drinking out of <a href="https://vinepair.com/articles/champagne-womens-shoes/&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1676950624379615&usg=AOvVaw0dDNhrnPc7Qk9l7HC-pWPG_">silk ballet flats</a>. </p>
<h2>Culture of defiance</h2>
<p>The contemporary Aussie shoey is really about defiance – claiming victory against the odds. </p>
<p>It’s a type of attitude many different types of Australians have tapped into over generations, a classic trait of the “little battler” or “underdog” stereotype that sees triumph even after a struggle.</p>
<p>Importantly, there is clear humour in the shoey - this is not a win steeped in earnest glory, but deliberately crowd-pleasing and silly. The result is a soggy shoe and a terrible taste in your mouth, but also, to tap into another stereotype, making sure tall poppy syndrome is avoided. </p>
<p>The shoey is a great leveller – it brings everyone down to the same (albeit pretty basic) level. Like other local party tricks and traditions, it can also bring an international guest into the fold - someone willing to “do a shoey” is inevitably going to be accepted by the crowd.</p>
<p>The shoey does have its critics though. It is regularly called out as being messy, gross and just a bit disgusting. Styles played along but clearly didn’t enjoy the actual act, joking it <a href="https://themusic.com.au/news/harry-styles-does-his-first-ever-shoey-i-feel-ashamed-of-myself/dbttaWhram0/21-02-23">made him feel ashamed of himself</a>.</p>
<h2>Was the shoey just a shameless local reference?</h2>
<p>Big touring artists may see hundreds of cities across a world tour. Typically these massive events are hugely formulaic and stage-managed, necessitated by the stadiums they play in and the scale they need to navigate. </p>
<p>To make each show memorable and, importantly, to draw audiences in, many add a specific local reference to the country or city they’re playing in. </p>
<p>It could be a nod to the sporting team or attraction, or ideally to local artists to give them some additional exposure. In Australia, some just bring out a stuffed koala or reference a Vegemite sandwich on stage. One of the most creative local references was Amanda Palmer’s ode to local slang with the song Map of Tasmania.</p>
<p>Styles’ shoey was definitely an acknowledgement of an aspect of Australian culture - even if the beautiful designer sneaker he sipped from was a world away from a sweaty footy boot. </p>
<p>More impressive for mine, and less likely to cause infection, was the inclusion of a cover of Daryl Braithwaite’s 1990 version of Horses, a song that has gone from cool to daggy and all the way back again. </p>
<p>Styles hammed it up then proclaimed, "You don’t hear that song very much until you get here, but then it’s like catnip… I can feel the Aussie coursing through my veins!"</p>
<p>It’s not the first time Australian audiences have asked Styles for a shoey, but only now has he obliged. At a time when anyone around the world can stream just about any event (mostly legally), finding something special about each place and its audience can be tough. </p>
<p>The shoey is something those present won’t forget in a hurry.</p>
<p>For the rest of his tour, other Australian oddities Styles might want to look out for are plagues of deadly drop bears, and the “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/adelaide/programs/breakfast/eagle-drop/101848598&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1676950120695484&usg=AOvVaw04i3h1CLbH5ZD2LSn3t00W">Eagle Drop</a>” when Daddy Cool comes on the stereo. </p>
<p>Make sure the budgie smugglers are as clean as those sneakers though, hey?</p>
<p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>
<p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-a-shoey-and-why-did-harry-styles-do-one-on-stage-in-australia-200342" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p>
