Trump launches a sneaker line

If anyone was waiting for the other shoe to drop in the upcoming presidential race, it was former President Donald Trump, who just did it, launching his own line of tennis shoes on Saturday.

“I’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” Trump said when announcing the launch of a sneaker line at Sneaker Con in Philadelphia.

“I have amazing people who work with me on things and they came up with this… and I think it’s going to be a huge success,” he added.

In his brief comments during the sneaker launch, Trump indicated that the line could be an effort to reach his younger followers, saying, “We’re going to change this country quickly. Let’s turn it around. And we are going to remember the young people and we are going to remember Sneaker Con.”

He was greeted by a mostly enthusiastic crowd, although occasional boos permeated the cheers.

The line, called Trump Sneakers, is available for pre-order online.

It features three different pairs of tennis shoes: a pair of high-top sneakers, a pair of red slip-on sneakers, and a pair of white slip-on sneakers.

The high-top sneakers, which are gold and adorned with a “T” on the outside of each shoe, are called the “Never Surrender High Top Sneaker” and are priced online at $399. The sneakers, which feature a “T” and the number 45 on the sides, are priced at $199.

Purchasing a pair of sneakers comes with extra laces and a Trump “superhero charm.”

The website that sells the sneakers also lists a “Victory47” perfume and cologne on sale for $99 each.

Sales of sneakers, perfumes and colognes have nothing to do with Trump’s presidential campaign or the Trump Organization. The former president’s name, image and likeness have been licensed to CIC Ventures LLC to sell the sneakers.

President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign mocked the sneaker launch, with communications director Michael Tyler saying: “Donald Trump showing up to sell bootleg Off-Whites is the closest he will get to any Air Force One for the time being.” rest of his life.” .”

The announcement comes less than 24 hours after Trump incurred a fine of more than 350 million dollars for participating in repeated financial fraud through his family corporation. Trump has said he intends to appeal the order.

This is not the first time Trump has licensed his name, image and likeness to sell products. In 2022 and 2023, he reached a licensing agreement to sell NFT trading cards. Those cards were produced and sold by NFT INT LLC, which had a licensing agreement with Trump to use his name and likeness.

Sneaker Con, the place where Trump first unveiled the sneaker collection, is an event that began in 2009 and has become one of the most important events within the broader sneaker culture. exploded in recent decades.

With the rise of sneaker culture, signature shoes have gone from athletes to musicians, actors, and more. Some politicians are now thought to be “sneakerheads,” which is slang for people who tend to sport particularly desirable sneakers. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., reportedly owns about 150 pairs of collectible sneakers.

Sneakers directly associated with politicians are rare. There are a pair of Nikes. designed for former President Barack Obama, but only a couple of pairs are known to exist, and Under Armor made him a pair with the presidential logo that Steph Curry dressed for a game.