Miss America 'Show Us Your Shoes' Parade Steps Off on Atlantic City Boardwalk Saturday
By Mike DeNardo
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., (CBS) -- At Atlantic City tradition returns to the boardwalk this evening at 5 p.m., with what's become known as the "Show Us Your Shoes" parade.
It was largely absent from the Miss America pageant's run in Las Vegas. But 200,000 people are expected to line the boardwalk, urging the 53 contestants to show their shoes as they ride on the backs of convertibles. The parade is a televised event now with national producer John Best running the show. At Atlantic City's last parade in 2004, local businesses paid $200 to enter a float. But now, Best says, the fees are $2,000 for custom-designed floats for sponsors.
"All of us are new. So we're all coming and we're sort of basing things on what we do in Philadelphia, Chicago and the other cities. And that's what we did in terms of determining fee structures on how the parade, and different costs of the parade," Best said.
Best says a new large shoe float will lead the parade down the boardwalk.
