Mardi Gras is famous for its beads. But there are much better ‘throws’ — the name given to the goodies flung from floats to eager spectators. A hand-decorated shoe from the Krewe of Muses is perhaps the most sought-after Mardi Gras treasure. Each unique shoe, adorned with glitter, feathers, bells and rhinestones, can take days for a Muse to make. Another desirable throw is the Zulu coconut, painted and handed out by the all-black krewe. Zulu used to toss them to revellers, but stopped the practice after a series of lawsuits, including one brought by a 74-year-old retired Orleans Parish teacher. In 2010, she alleged that being beaned on the head caused her to lose interest in Mardi Gras and have nightmares about flying coconuts.