Current:Home > NewsTrump hawks $399 branded shoes at ‘Sneaker Con,’ a day after a $355 million ruling against him -Wealth Navigators Hub
Trump hawks $399 branded shoes at ‘Sneaker Con,’ a day after a $355 million ruling against him
View
Date:2025-04-12 04:10:46
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — As he closes in on the Republican presidential nomination, former President Donald Trump made a highly unusual stop Saturday, hawking new Trump-branded sneakers at “Sneaker Con,” a gathering that bills itself as the “The Greatest Sneaker Show on Earth.”
Trump was met with loud boos as well as cheers at the Philadelphia Convention Center as he introduced what he called the first official Trump footwear.
The shoes, gold lame high tops with an American flag detail on the back, are being sold as “Never Surrender High-Tops” for $399 on a new website that also sells Trump-branded “Victory47” cologne and perfume for $99 a bottle. He’d be the 47th president if elected again.
The website says it has no connection to Trump’s campaign, though Trump campaign officials promoted the appearance in online posts.
On Friday, a judge in New York ordered Trump to pay a whopping $355 million in penalties, finding that the former president lied about his wealth for years, scheming to dupe banks, insurers and others by inflating his wealth on financial statements.
That penalty came after Trump was ordered to pay $83.3 million to the writer E. Jean Carroll for damaging her reputation after she accused him of sexual assault. With interest payments, Trump’s legal debts might now exceed a half-billion dollars — an amount it is unclear he can afford to pay.
Trump’s appearance was met with clashing boos from his detractors and chants of “USA!” from supporters who arrived at the sneaker event decked out in Trump gear. The dueling chants made it difficult, at times, to hear Trump speak. Some held signs that read “SNEAKERHEADS LOVE TRUMP.”
“There’s a lot of emotion in this room,” Trump said of the reaction, after holding up and showing off a pair of gold shoes, then placing one on each side of his podium.
“This is something that I’ve been talking about for 12 years, 13 years,” he said.
As he spoke, the smell of weed occasionally wafted through the room.
Some of those who attended said they were unaware Trump would be there, and continued to shop as a crowd gathered around the stage. Many in the audience said they were not from the city and instead hailed from nearby states and Washington.
The attendees skewed younger and more diverse than Trump’s usual rally crowds. Trump’s campaign is hoping he will be able to win over more young and minority voters, particularly young Black men, in a likely rematch against President Joe Biden in November.
This isn’t the first money-making venture Trump has announced since launching his third campaign for the White House in 2022. Trump last year reported making between $100,000 and $1 million for a series of digital trading cards that portrayed him, through photo editing, in a series of cartoon-like images, including an astronaut, a cowboy and a superhero.
Trump’s new sneaker website says it is run by CIC Ventures LLC, a company that Trump reported owning in his 2023 financial disclosure. A similarly named company, CIC Digital LLC, owns his digital trading card NFTs, or non-fungible tokens.
The website states the new venture “is not political and has nothing to do with any political campaign.”
A Trump spokesman did not respond to questions about the event, including whether Trump was paid to attend.
The website describes the shoes as a limited-edition, numbered “true collector’s item” that is “Bold, gold, and tough, just like President Trump.”
“The Never Surrender sneakers are your rally cry in shoe form,” the description reads. “Lace-up and step out ready to conquer,.”
Among those in the crowd were Jonathen Santiago, 21, and Danea Mitchell, 20, Trump supporters who drove from Monroe County in the northeastern part of the state for the sneaker event. They said they were excited to see the former president and praised how he interacted with the crowd. They also had kind words for the sneakers.
“The red bottoms were a really nice touch,” Mitchell said.
She shrugged when asked about Trump’s legal troubles. “I think it’ll be an interesting four years if he’s found guilty, but I have no doubt he’ll be president,” she said.
Also in attendance was a group of “cheer moms” from New Jersey who said they were in town for a cheerleading event and decided to stop by for a chance to see Trump.
Karla Burke, 48, said she heard some people booing and making noise, but that most people around her had been supporters. “At the front was a different vibe,” she said.
As for Friday’s penalty in Trump’s civil fraud trial, Burke said it doesn’t change her support. “I think it was unfair,” she said. “They’re just going after him so he’s not the Republican candidate.”
Biden-Harris 2024 Communications Director Michael Tyler slammed the appearance, saying: “Donald Trump showing up to hawk bootleg Off-Whites is the closest he’ll get to any Air Force Ones ever again for the rest of his life.”
Trump planned a rally later Saturday in Michigan in the suburbs of Detroit.
___
Colvin reported from New York.
veryGood! (929)
Related
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- You have summer plans? Jim Gaffigan does not
- Charleston's new International African American Museum turns site of trauma into site of triumph
- Cupshe Blowout 70% Off Sale: Get $5 Swimsuits, $9 Bikinis, $16 Dresses, and More Major Deals
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- Post Election, Climate and Racial Justice Protesters Gather in Boston Over Ballot Counting
- Meta's Mark Zuckerberg says Threads has passed 100 million signups in 5 days
- Restoring Utah National Monument Boundaries Highlights a New Tactic in the Biden Administration’s Climate Strategy
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Pennsylvania Grand Jury Faults State Officials for Lax Fracking Oversight
Ranking
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- At a French factory, the newest employees come from Ukraine
- One of the world's oldest endangered giraffes in captivity, 31-year-old Twiga, dies at Texas zoo
- ‘At the Forefront of Climate Change,’ Hoboken, New Jersey, Seeks Damages From ExxonMobil
- 'Malcolm in the Middle’ to return with new episodes featuring Frankie Muniz
- Police Officer Catches Suspected Kidnapper After Chance Encounter at Traffic Stop
- China Just Entered a Major International Climate Agreement. Now Comes the Hard Part
- The Rest of the Story, 2022
Recommendation
'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
A Sprawling Superfund Site Has Contaminated Lavaca Bay. Now, It’s Threatened by Climate Change
From Brexit to Regrexit
Allen Weisselberg sentenced to 5 months for his role in Trump Organization tax fraud
Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Part Ways With Spotify
Gavin Rossdale Reveals Why He and Ex Gwen Stefani Don't Co-Parent Their 3 Kids
A golden age for nonalcoholic beers, wines and spirits