The shoes, gold lame high-tops with an American flag detail on the back, are being called the first official Trump footwear.
As he closes in on the Republican presidential nomination, former President Donald Trump made a highly unusual stop on Saturday, hawking new Trump-branded trainers at “Sneaker Con,” a gathering that bills itself as the “The Greatest Sneaker Show on Earth.”
Trump was met with loud boos as well as cheers at the Philadelphia Convention Center as he introduced what he called the first official Trump footwear.
The shoes, gold lame high-tops with an American flag detail on the back, are being sold as “Never Surrender High-Tops” for US$399 on a new website that also sells Trump-branded “Victory47” cologne and perfume for US$99 a bottle. He’d be the 47th president if elected again.
The website says it has no connection to Trump’s campaign, though Trump campaign officials promoted the appearance in online posts.
On Friday, a judge in New York ordered Trump to pay a whopping US$355 million in penalties, finding that the former president lied about his wealth for years, scheming to dupe banks, insurers and others by inflating his wealth on financial statements.
That penalty came after Trump was ordered to pay US$83.3 million to the writer E. Jean Carroll for damaging her reputation after she accused him of sexual assault. With interest payments, Trump’s legal debts might now exceed a half-billion dollars – an amount it is unclear he can afford to pay.
Trump’s appearance was met with clashing boos from his detractors and chants of “USA!” from supporters who arrived at the sneaker event decked out in Trump gear. The duelling chants made it difficult, at times, to hear Trump speak. Some held signs that read, “SNEAKERHEADS LOVE TRUMP.
