Former President Donald Trump has launched a line of limited edition $399 high-top tennis shoes as well as cologne and perfume. Photo courtesy of gettrumpsneakers.com
Feb. 18 (UPI) — Former President Donald Trump has launched his own line of sneakers, cologne and perfume. The $399 shoes, which had a “strict limit of three pairs per customer,” are already sold out.
Trump’s launch comes just a day after a judge ordered him and his companies to pay nearly $355 million in his New York civil fraud trial and during an appearance by Trump at Sneaker Con in Philadelphia.
The former president unveiled the “Trump Sneakers” at Sneaker Con in Philadelphia. He placed a pair of the gold sneakers, which a new website has listed for $399 and named the “NEVER SURRENDER HIGH-TOP SNEAKER,” on the podium as he spoke.
“This is something I’ve been talking about for 12 years, 13 years, and I think it’s going to be a big success,” said Trump, who is getting closer to securing the 2024 Republican nomination and a rematch of the 2020 race with President Joe Biden.
By Saturday night, the shoes were sold out on the website. Only 1,000 pairs had been available for purchase, the site said.
The former president is also selling two other versions of red sneakers that have “T” on one side and “45” on the other for $199, according to the website. Cologne and perfume are listed for $99 each.
The products are “trademarks of CIC Ventures LLC. Trump Sneakers are not designed, manufactured, distributed or sold by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization or any of their respective affiliates or principals. 45Footwear, LLC uses the Trump name, image and likeness under a license agreement,” the website said.
A Biden campaign spokesman was critical of Trump’s attendance at Sneaker con to “hawk” his shoes, saying Trump was selling knock-off copies of popular sneaker brands.
Trump is heading to Michigan to address supporters for the first time since the New York court rulings put his legal problems back in the spotlight. Until now, Trump has publicly shaken off, denied responsibility, or blamed someone else for his legal woes.
A New York state judge Thursday said the former president’s criminal trial in a hush-money case will begin March 25.
Trump and his companies were ordered to pay nearly $355 million for fraudulently inflating the values of his properties. He also faces an $83 million judgment defaming author E. Jean Carroll. Combined, the 2024 Republican front-runner has been fined roughly $438 million in the past four weeks.
Trump’s visit to Michigan comes 10 days before the state holds its Republican primary, the last contest before the GOP nominating process expands to more than two dozen states in March, and the delegate count begins to expand rapidly with each series of primaries.