Former President Donald Trump made an unexpected appearance at the “Sneaker Con” event in Philadelphia, where he unveiled new Trump-branded sneakers. The gold high-top sneakers, known as “Never Surrender High-Tops,” feature an American flag detail on the back and are priced at $399.
Sneaker Con is a traveling convention for collectors to buy and sell shoes, and Trump’s presence at the event drew mixed reactions from attendees. Some displayed signs expressing support, while others booed and shouted.
Trump acknowledged the diverse reactions, stating, “There’s a lot of emotion in this room.” This venture into branded sneakers is not the first product Trump has sought to market since leaving office.
Donald Trump (Credits: Penn Live)
He has previously promoted his own trading cards and released books featuring photos from his time in office and letters written to him over the years. The website selling the new sneakers is operated by CIC Ventures LLC, a company listed in Trump’s 2023 financial disclosure.
Shortly after the unveiling, President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign criticized Trump’s latest product launch. Michael Tyler, the campaign’s communications director, commented, “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.”
The announcement of the sneakers comes a day after a New York judge ordered Trump and his namesake company to pay $453.5 million, with additional penalties against two of his sons, and barred them from conducting business in the state due to fraudulent overvaluation of his real estate assets.
Earlier this year, Trump was also ordered to pay $83.3 million in a defamation case brought by columnist E. Jean Carroll.
