Shoe-flinging at President Bush and other shoe moments in history

There are some moments in history where a shoe, like the famed photo above of presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson in 1952 with a hole in the bottom of his shoe, actually makes a political or historic statement. Check out photos we’ve rounded up and called “Shoes and politics: moments in history.”

The incident Sunday (Dec. 14) with President Bush also points up a cultural gulf between how Americans interpreted the shoe-throwing and how Iraqis viewed the event.

From our Babylon & Beyond blog, on “The shoes that shook the Arab world“:

“Throwing a shoe at someone is the ultimate insult in the Arab world. And journalist Muntather Zaidi’s decision to hurl a couple fastballs with his loafers at U.S. President George W. Bush during a Baghdad press conference on Sunday left no doubt about how he felt.”

(You can view a video and read the Los Angeles Times story “Bush ducks shoes thrown at him in Iraq.“)

We can all agree that flinging your shoes at someone is insulting, but travelers know that many actions and gestures can carry even more import or be misunderstood when traveling abroad. So maybe this is a good time to review shoe etiquette.

From “Going Dutch in Beijing: how to behave properly when far away from home” by Mark McCrum:

“…In most parts of the world, whether you wear black lace-ups, white slip-ons or fake crocodile-skin loafers, the fact that you keep your footwear on causes more offense than its appearance. In most Arab homes a guest should remove shoes before stepping inside — you can tell if this is necessary as there will be a pile of boots and sandals or a rack at the door. Always take off your shoes in mosques and Buddhist temples, and don’t just leave them any old way; place them neatly together, facing the door you came in at. When visiting a Japanese home, leave your footwear in the genkan (area outside the front door), toes pointing toward the exit, before stepping into the house.”

And his final words of advice: Always best to “wear nice, clean socks” and make sure you haven’t grabbed someone else’s shoes as you leave.

– Mary Forgione, Los Angeles Times staff writer

[Photo: Pulitzer Prize winning 1952 photo by newspaper photographer William M. Gallagher of the Flint, Mich., Journal.]

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This entry was posted on Monday, December 15, 2008 at 11:39 am by Mary Forgione and is filed under Asia, News, Tips & Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.