Donald Trump Introduces a $399 Sneaker Line After His $355 Million Legal Loss

In a recent move following a New York court's $355 million penalty against him for inflating his net worth to deceive lenders, Donald Trump has launched his own sneaker brand. Amid his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, Trump made an unconventional appearance at Sneaker Con on Saturday to promote his new Trump-branded sneakers. Described as "The Greatest Sneaker Show On Earth!" by HuffPost, the event at the Philadelphia Convention Center saw Trump receiving a mix of loud boos and cheers as he unveiled what he claimed to be the first Trump footwear line.

The audience at the event was notably younger and more diverse compared to Trump's typical rally attendees, which is worth noting since his campaign is apparently aiming to attract more support from young and minority voters, particularly young Black men, in anticipation of a potential rematch against President Joe Biden in November.

The sneakers, which are shiny gold high-tops featuring an American flag motif on the back, are marketed as "Never Surrender High-Tops" and are priced at $399. They are available for purchase on a new website that also sells Trump-branded Victory47 cologne and perfume for $99 per bottle, according to The Guardian.

While the website claims to be independent of Trump's campaign, Trump campaign officials promoted the event in online posts, creating a connection between the two entities. “I’ve wanted to do this a long time,” the former US President said.

Furthermore, this is not the first profit-making project Trump has revealed since commencing his third campaign for the presidency in 2022. As per an article by Forbes, the real estate mogul seemingly raked in more than $4 million from a collection of digital trading cards featuring him digitally altered into various cartoonish roles, such as an astronaut, a cowboy, and a superhero.

Circling back to the sneaker convention, Trump's arrival led to boos from his critics and clashed with chants of "USA!" from his enthusiastic supporters, many of whom were adorned in Trump-themed attire. The competing chants often drowned out Trump's remarks, creating moments of chaos during the sneaker event. “There’s a lot of emotion in this room,” Trump said. After proudly displaying the gold shoes and positioning them on each side of his podium, he made a statement: “This is something that I’ve been talking about for 12 years, 13 years." 

The newly launched sneaker website claims to be operated by CIC Ventures LLC, a company that Trump declared ownership of in his 2023 financial disclosure. The description on the website read, “The Never Surrender sneakers are your rally cry in shoe form. Lace up and step out ready to conquer."

As Trump nears securing the Republican presidential nomination, with recent wins in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada, the possibility of a rematch with Biden in the general election looms large. Meanwhile, Nikki Haley, although lacking a clear path to the nomination, remains resolute in her campaign. She is now focusing on her home state of South Carolina, where the primary is scheduled for February 24th, in what could be her final stand.