Voodoo shoes

Abbotsford International Airshow attendees have a chance to hit the tarmac in style this year, with the release of custom-designed shoes that pay tribute to the iconic CF-101B Voodoo interceptor that served with the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1961 to 1987.

Dave Reith, airshow operations manager, told Skies he got the idea to produce the shoes after buying a pair of P-51 Val-Halla canvas low-tops produced by iloveahangar.com. That particular aircraft is operated by the Heritage Flight Museum, a U.S. organization that participates in the annual Abbotsford airshow.

This year, in honour of the 50th anniversary of the Abbotsford International Airshow being designated as “Canada’s national airshow,” Reith said he worked with iloveahangar.com to produce men’s and women’s canvas shoes featuring the markings of the CF-101 Voodoo that greets airport visitors from its post at the front gate.

“That aircraft is actually property of the airshow and it’s on loan to the airport,” said Reith. “They are an iconic symbol of this airshow in the 1970s and they have a really special place for us. We thought it would be cool to make those shoes.”

Reith said that while the airshow doesn’t make any money from shoe sales, they are enjoying a spike in social media awareness, with many airshow fans saying they plan to order a pair.

“There is no tie-in to purchasing tickets for the show. For us, we try to keep a relevant social media presence year-round. This was a cool opportunity to celebrate the iconic Voodoo at the airport and it’s a milestone show for us.”

Shoes are priced at US$59 and can be ordered at iloveahangar.com. They are made to order with white or black soles.

This year, the Abbotsford International Airshow takes flight from Aug. 7-9, 2020. In addition to celebrating the event’s 50th year as “Canada’s National Airshow,” it is also the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds aerobatic team, which will be on hand to thrill audiences once again.

Other confirmed acts include the CF-18 Hornet Demo Team, a U.S. F-22 Raptor demonstration, the Canadian Forces SkyHawks parachute team, and a number of exciting civilian acts including the Yak 110 (two Yak 55s fused together with a jet engine), Team Rocket, GhostWriter, and aerobatic performer Jodi Rueger.

For tickets and information, visit www.abbotsfordairshow.com.