Bonnie Haas wasn’t kicked off the show in 1971, she was literally booted from the gig. “I haven’t seen him since,” the New Zealand native told CTV News Toronto on Wednesday. It was 29 October 1971 when Haas got tickets to see John at Western Springs Stadium on his first tour of New Zealand. “We got free tickets from the promoter,” admitted Haas, who was working in radio at the time. “I got into the second row.” Along with the memories of that performance, Haas has kept something else. “He took off his boots,” he said. “He had the Rocketman boots and he threw them into the audience and I got one!” The leather, gold and red, right-footed winged boot Mr. Freedom was one of the first signature styles for the flamboyant musician. The fancy footwear is even referenced in the 2019 autobiographical film ‘Rocketman’. Back then, a young Haas wasn’t looking at her new find as a collector’s item. “I wore them,” he said. “I was so in favor. I had a black boot and an Elton John boot. I went with my friend at the time, and I put my foot out of the window and I was like, “I got the boot! I got the boot.” Haas says after the show she wore the boot to a nightclub and went dancing. Along with her record collection, the boot was one of the few things Haas brought with her when she moved to Canada 46 years ago. For decades, it has sat in a display case in her Toronto home, both as a decorative piece and a conversation starter. “People love it,” he said. “And they say, ‘You need to contact Elton.’ Haas says he has no idea how much the boot is worth, and has no interest in selling it. “I went to the Bata shoe museum and had a chat with them – and they said they’d be interested in me putting it on display. But you know, I didn’t want to give it away.” Half a century after it was acquired, both the boot and the musician it came from are still standing. John is playing two shows in Toronto at the Roger’s Center this week on September 7th and 8th. Haas says she will wear the boot Wednesday night when she attends. “I would love to meet him,” she said.
