By Megan Fitzgerald
In Key West, the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve has long meant one thing: the glittering red stiletto descending from Bourbon St. Pub’s balcony. For 25 years, the late drag legend Sushi made the “shoe drop” an iconic tradition — and a rite of passage for the queens she mentored. Last year, Randy Roberts stepped into the shoe. This year, for the first time, the role is being decided through the If the Shoe Fits national tour competition. Congratulations to AquaPlex Key West’s own Beatrix Dixie, winner of the very first Florida Regional held at AquaPlex Fort Lauderdale. Out of an incredible field of talent, she will proudly represent South Florida in the October 4, 2025 finals outside Bourbon St. Pub — honoring Sushi’s legacy in the very shoe she made iconic.
OutClique: First of all, congratulations! What went through your mind when you heard your name announced as the very first Florida Regional winner?
Beatrix Dixie: As the very first Florida Regional winner? I was ecstatic. I’m not really a pageant person. I’ve competed in a few local things here in Key West, but I’ve never done anything that big. So it was really cool — a really badass feeling, if I could say that.
OutClique: The competition was full of incredible talent. What do you think set your performance apart?
Dixie: I think what probably set me apart was just my passion for really wanting to be in the shoe. A lot of people don’t know much about the shoe yet, and I think I wanted it a little bit more.
OutClique: How did you prepare for a competition like this?
Dixie: I was one of the first people that found out about the competition — actually the first person in the continental U.S. to sign up. I prepped myself early on. Honestly, I just told myself to be me. I tried not to psych myself out worrying about what others were going to do. I reminded myself, “I’m Beatrix Dixie. I deserve to be in the show. So why not just be myself and see what happens?” And look what happened.
OutClique: How does it feel to represent South Florida on this national stage in Key West?
Dixie: I’m not really a pageant queen, so this is all new to me. I feel a tremendous amount of pride — not just representing Key West, but South Florida. People forget Key West is Florida. We’re kind of our own little entity down here, but knowing I was competing with South Florida girls, it felt really cool. I’m humbled and ready to represent Florida as a whole.
OutClique: The finals are on October 4 outside Bourbon Street Pub. How are you getting ready for that stage?
Dixie: I just became general manager for our Key West AquaPlex about four weeks ago. So everything I thought I’d have time for, I’ve had to double-time while working extra hours. Honestly, I’ve heard people saying the judges want an international queen and not someone from Key West. But I think they’ve got it wrong. I think Key West really has a chance this year. To prepare, I’m changing up what I did in the semifinals. I want to present something new for them to critique and not just expect the same thing.
OutClique: How many contestants will compete in the finals?
Dixie: I believe there are six final contestants.
OutClique: Even though you’re not in the shoe yet, you’re already part of the legacy of this iconic Key West tradition. What does that mean to you?
Dixie: Honestly, it means the world to me. When I moved here in September 2012, I started doing drag with Sushi at 801. She took me in and helped shape Beatrix into who she is. I got to perform that first year to ring in 2013 under the shoe, and I knew I wanted to be in it one day.
I’ve performed on that stage on and off for 13 years now, and it’s been a dream of mine since the beginning. Sushi even told me, “One day I see you in this shoe.” So I feel like I have her in my corner. Being the first winner of this competition — and being a Key West queen — would be the ultimate experience. Nobody could represent that shoe better than a Key West queen.
Author: Megan Fitzgerald, PhD, Associate Professor
