US President Donald Trump confirms buying Florsheim shoes for cabinet members, saying he has fun ensuring they look spiffy and avoid sneakers.
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump confirmed he has bought several members of his cabinet shoes from his favourite brand. The unusual gifts, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, involve pairs of Florsheim shoes worth $145 each.
Trump said he enjoys the process, sometimes even guessing people’s shoe size in front of them. “It’s a nice shoe,” Trump said in a Fox Radio interview when asked about the story.
The 79-year-old Republican explained his motivation stems from seeing people in uncomfortable footwear. “What I do is, is somebody that for many many years has walked around in shoes that were no good, and would not be that comfortable,” he said.
“So I have fun with it. When they tell me they have a problem, I say, ‘Let me get you a pair of shoes.'” He added that the gifts seem to work out well and now the recipients look “all spiffy and nice.”
Trump also stated he had “never liked cabinet members walking in in sneakers.” Recipients reportedly include Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
One published photo showed Rubio in what appeared to be the same footwear, which looked too big on the heels. The model on the Florsheim website that most closely resembles those in the photographs is a leather dress shoe made in China.
