Trump launches sneaker line

If anybody was ready for the opposite shoe to drop within the upcoming presidential race, former President Donald Trump simply did, launching his personal line of tennis footwear on Saturday.

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

“I have some incredible people that work with me on things and they came up with this … and I think it’s gonna be a big success,” he added.

In his transient remarks on the sneaker launch, Trump indicated the road might be an effort to achieve out to youthful supporters, saying, “We’re going to turn this country around fast. We’re going to turn it around. And we’re going to remember the young people, and we’re going to remember Sneaker Con.” 

He was met with a largely enthusiastic crowd, although some occasional boos permeated by means of the cheers.

The road, known as Trump Sneakers, is obtainable for preorder on-line.

It options three totally different pairs of tennis footwear: a pair of excessive tops, a pair of purple laceless athletic footwear and a pair of white laceless athletic footwear.

The excessive tops, that are gold and emblazoned with a “T” on the surface of every shoe, are known as the “Never Surrender High Top Sneaker” and are priced at $399 on-line. The athletic footwear, which characteristic a “T” and the quantity 45 on the edges are priced at $199.

The web site promoting the sneakers additionally contains a “Victory47” fragrance and cologne on the market at $99 every.

The sneakers, fragrance and cologne gross sales don’t have anything to do with Trump’s presidential marketing campaign or the Trump Group. The previous president’s title, picture and likeness have been licensed to CIC Ventures LLC to promote the sneakers.

President Joe Biden’s re-election marketing campaign mocked the sneaker launch, with communications director Michael Tyler 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.”

This is not Trump’s first time licensing his title, picture and likeness to promote merchandise. In 2022 and 2023, he struck a licensing agreement to sell NFT trading cards. These playing cards had been produced and offered by NFT INT LLC, which had a licensing settlement with Trump to make use of his title and picture.

Sneaker Con, the venue the place Trump debuted the sneaker assortment, is an occasion that began in 2009 and has change into one of many premiere occasions throughout the broader sneaker tradition that has exploded in recent decades.

With the rise of sneaker tradition, signature footwear have moved past athletes to musicians, actors and extra. Some politicians are actually considered “sneakerheads,” which is slang for individuals who are likely to rock notably fascinating sneakers. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., reportedly has someplace within the neighborhood of 150 pairs of collectible sneakers. 

Sneakers immediately related to politicians are uncommon. There are a pair of Nikes designed for former President Barack Obama, however solely a few pairs are recognized to exist, and Underneath Armour made a pair for him with the presidential emblem that Steph Curry wore for a recreation.