On 14 December 2008, Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi removed his shoes and threw them at United States president George W. Bush during a joint press conference with Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad, Iraq. Bush quickly ducked, avoiding being hit by either of the shoes. The second shoe collided with a U.S. flag positioned behind Bush. Al-Zaidi was subsequently grabbed, kicked, and removed from the room by security.

Al-Zaidi received a three-year prison sentence, which was reduced by two years. On 15 September 2009, after nine months of imprisonment, he was released early as he had no prior criminal record.

There have since been many other shoe-throwing incidents on an international scale.