F1 trademark the term ‘shoey’ to cash in on Daniel Ricciardo’s celebration

Formula One has capitalised on the show-boating of Red Bull racer Daniel Ricciardo and landed a trademark on the ‘Shoey’ — the Australian tradition of drinking out of a sweaty shoe.

Daniel Ricciardo brought the ‘Shoey’ to the global mainstream. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Riccardo is famous for performing this pungent stunt, and has even persuaded celebrities like Gerard Butler to take a swig from his boot after winning a race.

Eyeing the unusual stunt’s commercial potential, Formula One registered a “Shoey” trademark with the World Intellectual Property Organisation last year, reports the Independent.

The racing body was able to trademark the term on August 24, 2017, in the key commercial product field which includes figurines, mugs, glasses, bottles and flasks.

The trademark is now registered in 25 countries including the US, Germany, France and the UK, where it came into effect at the start of January 2018.

The ‘Shoey’ appears to have originated in Australia around 15 years ago. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

The ‘shoey’ has actually ben commonplace in Australia some time, and appears to have originated around 15 years ago with surfing brand the Mad Hueys, who have been quoted as saying they’ve been drinking out of a shoe since 2002.

Since then, it has been adopted by a wide number of casual drinkers and victorious athletes, including Australian Motocross champion Chad Reed, and Italian motorcycle racer Valentino Rossi