Donald Trump Gifted Matching $145 Shoes to His Closest Advisers After Guessing Their Shoe Sizes: Report
Top White House officials are "afraid not to wear" the shoes gifted to them by the president, according to one staffer
President Donald Trump has reportedly found a way to unite his top advisers during a controversial moment in his presidency: matching shoes.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, March 9, that the president has taken to gifting his top Cabinet members and political allies pairs of his favorite dress shoes. The footwear, from an American brand called Florsheim, reportedly cost just $145 a pair and are paid for by the president himself, according to the outlet.
“All the boys have them,” one female White House told the Journal.
It seems to be true. In recent photos, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff have all been seen wearing matching shoes.
“It’s hysterical because everybody’s afraid not to wear them," another female official said.
Other recipients of Trump's favorite shoes reportedly include Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, White House communications director Steven Cheung, deputy chief of staff James Blair and speechwriter Ross Worthington, as well as Fox News personality Sean Hannity and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Trump, 79, has also reportedly developed an affinity for guessing the recipient's shoe size in front of them before he orders their pair.
"He asks an aide to put in an order and, a week later, a brown Florsheim box arrives at the White House. Trump sometimes signs the box or attaches a note of gratitude, according to people familiar with the ritual," the Journal reported.
According to a recent photo of Rubio, however, the president's guessing may be slightly off. Following the reporting on Trump's shoe shopping, an image of the secretary of state went viral, showing him seemingly wearing loose Florsheim dress shoes with a noticeable gap between his heel and the back of the shoe.
Trump's preoccupation on the shoes being worn in the White House didn't come out of nowhere. Back in December, Vance recounted a "behind-the-scenes" Oval Office moment he said he would "never, ever forget."
The vice president told right-wing commentator Benny Johnson that he, Trump, Rubio and another unnamed politician were discussing a serious policy issue — until Trump abruptly shifted the conversation to their footwear.
"The president kind of holds up his hand and says, 'No, no, no, hold on a second. There’s something much more important. Shoes,' " Vance recounted. Trump then "peers over the Resolute Desk" and declared, "Marco, JD, you guys have s----- shoes. We gotta get you better shoes."
Trump then allegedly asked the men in the room for their shoe size. When one unnamed politician answered "7," Vance said, Trump apparently "leaned back in his chair and joked, 'You know you can tell a lot about a man by his shoe size.' "
https://people.com/donald-trump-matching-shoes-closest-advisers-11924020#broshoes
Maybe trump is trying to prepare himself for life after the presidency. In stead of a guess your weight booth at the fair he will open up a guess your she size booth?
And BTW- Florsheim shoes are primarily manufactured in China, India, Cambodia, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.