As Donald Trump gets closer to winning the Republican nomination for president again, he did something unexpected on Saturday. He went to “Sneaker Con,” a big sneaker event that calls itself “The Greatest Sneaker Show on Earth,” to sell new sneakers with his name on them.
Trump faced both boos and cheers from the crowd at the Philadelphia Convention Center as he introduced the first official Trump shoes. These shoes are gold high tops with an American flag on the back, and they’re called “Never Surrender High-Tops.” They cost $399 and are available on a new website along with other Trump shoes and “Victory47” cologne and perfume, which cost $99 a bottle. The website says it’s not connected to Trump’s campaign, even though campaign officials promoted the event online.
This surprise launch happened just after a judge in New York ordered Trump and his company to pay $355 million for lying about how much money he had. This came after another ruling where Trump was told to pay $83.3 million to a writer he had insulted. With interest, Trump now owes more than half a billion dollars in legal fees.
At the sneaker event, some people booed Trump, while others chanted “USA!” and wore Trump gear. The conflicting cheers and jeers made it hard to hear Trump speak. He showed off the gold shoes and said he had been talking about making them for over a decade and thinks they’ll be a hit.
During Trump’s speech, the smell of marijuana was noticeable in the room. Some attendees didn’t even know Trump would be there and continued shopping while he spoke. Most people in the crowd weren’t from Philadelphia but came from nearby states and even Washington, D.C.
The crowd at the event was younger and more diverse than the typical crowds at Trump’s rallies. Trump’s campaign hopes he can win over more young and minority voters, especially young Black men, in the next election.
This isn’t the first business venture Trump has started since he began his third campaign for president in 2022. Last year, he made money from digital trading cards and released books featuring photos of his time in office.
The sneaker website says it’s run by CIC Ventures LLC, a company Trump owns. It claims the sneakers aren’t political, but they describe them as being like Trump—bold, gold, and tough. They call the shoes a limited edition collector’s item and encourage people to wear them proudly.
A Trump spokesperson didn’t say if Trump was paid to attend the event. Some attendees, like Jonathen Santiago and Danea Mitchell, praised Trump and the sneakers, saying they liked the “red bottoms” on the shoes. Others, like Karla Burke, shrugged off Trump’s legal troubles and remained supportive.
Biden-Harris 2024 Communications Director Michael Tyler criticized Trump’s appearance, saying Trump was trying to sell fake Off-White sneakers, a popular brand, and suggested it was the closest Trump would get to wearing Air Force Ones, a type of shoe, again.
After the event, Trump went to Michigan for a rally and criticized the judge’s ruling, which he plans to appeal. Both Pennsylvania and Michigan are expected to be important states in the next election.