The Parts of the World Where Shoes are Traditionally Seen as Good Luck
In contrast to the Middle Eastern cultural perspective that throwing a shoe at somebody is a deadly insult, there is a belief in other parts of the world that throwing a shoe at somebody brings good fortune. In medieval Europe, it was believed that shoes were good luck. Text that dates back centuries refers to shoes being thrown at newly married couples to wish them good fortune in their new life together. The belief that throwing shoes at somebody brought good luck lasted into the modern era.
In 1854, for example, Queen Victoria threw her shoes at British soldiers as they headed out for the Crimean War, to wish them well. She also wrote in her diary that shoes were thrown into the doorway of Balmoral Castle when it was completed in 1855, for good luck. It was part of another long-held belief, that shoes brought good fortune to homes. For centuries, well-worn shoes were placed inside the walls or in the rafters of homes that underwent renovations, in the belief that it warded off evil spirits and witchcraft.