Culture

‘Drag Race Down Under’ Just Introduced The World To Shoeys

The world has met an Aussie legend.

by Merryana Salem  9 May 2021

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In the latest episode of Drag Race Down Under, our Aussie queens introduced the world to the grand old gross tradition of shoeys.

In the werkroom, the Aussie queens began chatting about the humbly disgusting shoey. The kiwi queens had no idea what they were on about and so the heels were whipped out for a demonstration.

For those of you who, like the kiwis, are not in the know– a shoey is the act of drinking alcohol from yours or a mate’s shoe. In an article for the New York Times, Tacey Rychter describes it thusly.

“To “do a shoey” is to pour alcohol (usually beer) into a shoe (yours or someone else’s) and chug it. Beer cascades down your shirt. Then you (or someone else) wears a wet shoe for the night.”

Once the Aussies demonstrate this unhealthy tradition to the kiwi queens, Scarlet Adams suggested that next week the New Zealand queens should teach them how to fuck sheep. Classy!

To be clear, shoeys, while they’re a decade old Australian tradition, are very much not good for you. Back in 2019, the ABC engaged Western Sydney University’s (WSU) School of Medicine Gastroenterology Laboratory to submerge a bunch of sweaty shoes in different alcoholic drinks for a minute, mapping how the shoe’s bacterial landscape changed.

The results? Turns out there’s a high risk of contracting staph. Especially, if you’re doing a shoey with champagne. The more you know.

So, it must be said that our Aussie queens really did risk a potentially life-threatening infection to show the kiwis what’s what when it comes to shoeys.

“Honestly, that’s got notes of fungus!” proclaims Scarlet Adams.

And alas, she’s very likely too correct on that one. Thankfully, before the ‘Straya-isms on Drag Race Down Under could progress past the point of no return, the queens get a video call from Kylie Minogue.

Drag Race Down Under is streaming only on Stan