December 22, 2008

Bush shoe-thrower turns out to be a born salesman

By: David Donadio

Classic:

(CNN) — The shoes thrown last week at U.S. President George W. Bush have provided an unexpected windfall for the shoemaker who made them.

President Bush, left, ducks a shoe as Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki tries to protect him.

Sales of the shoes made famous by Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi have soared, with requests pouring in to the Turkish shoemaker from across the world, media reports said Monday.

As a result, Istanbul-based Ramazan Baydan has had to recruit an extra 100 staff to meet orders for 300,000 pairs of the “Model 271 brogues,” Britain’s Daily Mail said.

According to the company, Model 271 shoes are exported to markets including Iraq, Iran, Syria and Egypt. Last week customers in Iraq ordered 120,000 pairs and some Iraqis offered to set up distribution companies for the shoe, Baydan told Bloomberg.