Shoe designer says 'no doubt' Ron DeSantis is wearing height boosters in his boots

31 October 2023

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is likely wearing inserts in his boots meant to boost his height, according to three expert shoe designers.

In a new Politico report, several prominent designers of cowboy boots and shoes weighed in on social media rumors that the 2024 Republican presidential hopeful is wearing height boosters, with each one agreeing that DeSantis is wearing wedge inserts meant to make him look slightly taller.

"I’ve dealt with these politicians many times," Zephan Parker of the Houston-based Parker Boot Company told Politico. "I’ve helped them with their lifts. [DeSantis] is wearing lifts; there’s no doubt."

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Parker, who said he's designed boots for numerous Texas politicians (whom he did not name) meant to increase their height, pointed to a recent DeSantis appearance at a Tampa event as an example of the Florida governor altering his boots to increase his height. Parker noted that while typical Western cowboy boots have an elevated heel anywhere from 1.5 inches to 1 7/8 inches, the heels on DeSantis' boots appeared to have been shaved down. Parker says this is necessary for someone wearing inserts, as a height booster inside the boot combined with a standard elevated heel would be akin to wearing "five-inch stillettos."

"That’s too much for the common man," Parker said. "So on a ready-made boot, they’ll cut down the heel about half an inch to accommodate the lifts, which looks to be what happened here."

Austin, Texas-based boot maker Graham Ebner also agreed that DeSantis was wearing height boosters, pointing out the Florida governor's boots had a combination of telltale signs.

“Three things stick out to me,” Ebner told Politico. “The instep, the toe spring and where the ball of his foot is sitting in the boots.”

The "toe spring" Ebner mentioned is a technical reference to the way the toes of the boot curl. Ebner said that the toes of DeSantis' boots curl up way more than on someone who wasn't wearing inserts, suggesting the Florida governor's toe was further back in the boot than it should have been, which is typical for someone wearing a height booster.

"In the photo of him sitting on the wooden stool, you can see where the ball of his foot is protruding on the right boot,” Ebner said. “It’s a good inch behind where it should be. It should not be in that position unless the heels were being lifted dramatically.”

According to the Yale 2001 baseball roster, DeSantis' natural height is 5'11". However, his 2024 rival, former President Donald Trump, stands at 6'3", meaning DeSantis may be looking for an extra leg up on his fellow Floridian. DeSantis press secretary Bryan Griffin dismissed the rumors.

"Considering the fact that Politico Magazine admittedly spent money to consult 'boot experts' to run this hit piece on DeSantis tells you all you need to know about their 'journalism,'" Griffin said. "The governor doesn’t pad his boots, but if he ever needed anything to line a pet cage or fold up and wedge under a table leg, that would be the highest and best use for Politico Magazine."

Politico countered that they didn't pay for bootmakers' quotes and that the publication is not available in print.

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