Big Red Shoe Car

Big Red Shoe Car
Ronald McDonald travels the Parade route in his Big Red Shoe Car with his friends in the 2005 parade, all buffed and shined for the holidays.
Years active	2000-Present
Sponsor	McDonald's
Type	Specialty Unit

The Big Red Shoe Car is a promotional vehicle for the McDonald's restaurant chain, and is Ronald McDonald's preferred mode of transportation, appearing in television commercials and at live events.

History with the Macy's Parade

Ronald McDonald’s very own Big Red Shoe Car debuted in the 2000 Macy’s Parade, getting miles of giggles to the gallon. Inspired by the iconic Big Red Shoes of Ronald McDonald, the cushy shoe-mobile is laced with laughs and measures 20 feet long—equal to that of a men’s size 266 shoe. Unlike most elements, the Big Red Shoe Car was not built by Macy's Studios, but rather the Burbank, California-based Global Entertainment Industries, Inc.

Riding in style down the streets of New York City during the car's debut was Ronald McDonald himself, joined by the talented McKids. In 2002, the McKids were replaced by Ronald's McDonaldland friends Grimace and Hamburgular, with Birdie the Early Bird joining the fun in 2003. The McDonaldland characters were replaced by the McKids in 2006, who continued to appear until 2019.

With regulations barring those under the age of 18 from participating in the reimagined 2020 Parade, the McKids were once again replaced with Grimace and Hamburglar, although the latter was removed prior to recording after a further reduction of participants. He made his proper return in the 2021 Parade with Ronald and Grimace, and has remained since. The Big Red Shoe Car made its 24^th consecutive appearance in the 2023 Parade.

The Big Red Shoe Car has also made several appearances outside of the Parade—a rarity for Parade elements. In April 2005, it appeared at the grand opening of McDonald's flagship restaurant in Chicago, Illinois, where it held the honors of being the first vehicle to use the re-modeled restaurant's drive-thru; naturally, Ronald McDonald took the wheel. More recently, the Big Red Shoe Car has appeared regularly in two New Jersey holiday parades since 2018—the Clinton Christmas Parade and the Hunterdon Holiday Parade—alongside Grimace and Hamburglar.

See also

• Ronald McDonald
• McDonald's