As country music’s popularity continues to spread across the globe, many artists are experiencing new cultures and traditions as they journey to far off lands to perform their music. This can open the door to some bizarre behavior, like Australia’s affinity for the shoey.
What Is a Shoey?
For those unfamiliar with the term, a shoey simply means drinking from a shoe. Yes, that’s right — a shoe. As far as Google goes, there isn’t a right or wrong way to perform a shoey. One simply removes their shoe, pours their drink into it and gulps it down.
There are no guidelines to what kind of shoe or what type of drink, nor is there a rule as to how much one must consume.
There just has to be a drink and a shoe. Ideally, there would also be a large crowd cheering in the background; otherwise, what’s the point?
Do Country Artists Do Shoeys?
Although there are no traditional rules for a shoey, it has become common for country artists to chug a beer from a boot when they are touring in Australia. In fact, according to Australian native Morgan Evans, crowds will chant “shoey” in the middle of a show until the artist completes the task.
“They yell it out — like 20,000 people yell this out,” he explains in an interview. “And if you’re on stage and you don’t do it, you get booed.”
So, what’s worse — chugging a beer from your own boot or getting booed while on stage? For the artists below, the answer was getting booed. Keep scrolling to see the top shoeys in country music.
