'Everybody’s afraid not to wear them': Trump buys shoes for admin officials

09 March

U.S. President Donald Trump reacts as Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 9, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

President Donald Trump is buying expensive shoes for his advisors, and people are scared of not wearing them.

According to a bizarre Wall Street Journal report, during meetings, the 79-year-old president starts guessing people's shoe size and then orders them $145 pair of loafers known as Florsheims.

“Marco, JD, you guys have s—y shoes,” Trump told his vice president and Secretary of State. He then grabbed a catalogue. The report said that they were "deep in conversation," though it didn't say what was being discussed. Rubio was an 11.5 and Vance is a 13. A third person in the room, whom Vance wouldn't identify, wore a 7.

“The president kind of leans back in his chair and says, ‘You know you can tell a lot about a man by his shoe size,’ ” Vance recalled.

“It helps to be tall,” Trump told the men. “I don’t know, they’re big heels. They’re big heels. I mean, those were really up there.”

Rubio was mocked in New Hampshire in 2016 when he was caught wearing the Florsheims, which boast a nice heel giving some height to the wearer. Rubio is 5-foot-10 and the shoe "scandal" became known as "Bootgate." Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) faced his own "Bootgate" when he was spotted in 2023 wearing a heal on his shoe. Politico reported at the time that three expert shoemakers said that he was likely wearing "height boosters."

There have been at least four instances in which Trump lied about his height. He has long claimed to be 6-foot-3. But when he stands next to people who also say they are 6'3", he is shorter. Lawyer Christine Pelosi, daughter of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Cal.), spotted Trump in a "kitten heel" in 2020 while he was viewing hurricane damage.

At least one Cabinet official is annoyed to slum it with the Florsheims, one person who heard his complaint told the Wall Street Journal that he was forced to shelve his Louis Vuittons, which typically run over $1,000, unless there is a sale.

“All the boys have them,” a female White House official remarked.

One joked, “It’s hysterical because everybody’s afraid not to wear them.”

The report said that the "shoe-salesman-in-chief is paying attention."

Menswear writer Derek Guy suggested that Trump try a higher-end brand, Alden Shoe Co., and be properly fitted. Trump's fashion has been mocked over the years, with suits that are too big, shoulder pads, and his signature red tie that is abnormally long. While Trump frequently wears a blue suit, he pairs it with black shoes, whereas most would pair blue with brown shoes.

“I don’t think it’s extravagant—for a billionaire," he quipped.

In a previous thread on X, Guy questioned some of Trump's fashion choices.

"Trump's tailoring is done in a way to conceal his weight. His shoulders are relatively narrow compared to his waist, which gives his body a somewhat rectangular shape," said Guy at the time. "As I've mentioned many times, the platonic male silhouette in classic Western aesthetic is a shoulder line that's broader than the waist, which creates a V-shaped figure. Since Trump doesn't naturally have this silhouette, his suits have an extended shoulder."

It causes a problem because you can only extend a shoulder so far, he explained.

The Journal didn't explain whether or not Trump was paying for the shoes himself or if these were taxpayer-funded shoes.

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