Big shoes to fill, literally!

Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s shoes have suddenly become a talking point in Washington. Photos showing him in what looked like oversized footwear have gone viral. The reason may lie with his boss. A March 9 report in The Wall Street Journal revealed that Donald Trump has developed an unusual Oval Office habit. He buys his favourite dress shoes for allies. The story goes back to a meeting in the Oval Office in December. Sitting behind the Resolute Desk, Trump looked at the footwear of Vice President JD Vance and Rubio and delivered a blunt verdict. “Marco, JD, you guys have s****y shoes,” he said. “We’ve got to get you better shoes.” Trump then pulled out a catalogue and asked for sizes. Rubio said 11.5 (UK 10.5). Vance said 13 (UK 12). Another official, whom Vance did not name, said 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 later recalled at an event at the Kennedy Center.

Soon after, the president sent both men four pairs. Cabinet meetings now come with a new question, “Did you get the shoes?”And wear them they do. Several recipients now make a point of sporting their Florsheim Oxfords around Trump, sometimes reluctantly. One cabinet secretary, the newspaper reported, even complained about retiring his Louis Vuitton pair to make room for the president’s choice.

In US, Rubio’s shoes are a story

Amid the ongoing war in West Asia, Marco Rubio’s footwear has become an unlikely talking point in the American media.

On Wednesday, two days after reports that Trump had been gifting Florsheim leather Oxfords to officials, photos of Rubio in oversized shoes quickly went viral. Menswear writer Derek Guy posted one such image on X, showing Rubio seemingly slipping out of his shoes, with a single caption: “hmm”. Ill-fitting shoes, he earlier noted, can cause “physical issues”. Conservative columnist Matt Lewis expressed his worry on X that the pair might “cause blisters”.

Another viral photo from Mar-a-Lago, taken at Dan Scavino’s wedding, showed a visible gap between Rubio’s heel and the back of the shoe.

Who else is wearing them?

Among those who have reportedly received the president’s preferred footwear:

Sean Duffy

Pete Hegseth

Howard Lutnick

Steven Cheung

James Blair

Ross Worthington

Sean Hannity

Lindsey Graham

The cost to the Prez

The exact price depends on the model, but an average pair of Florsheim Oxfords costs about $145 (Rs 13,370). The White House has said the president is paying for the shoes himself, sometimes even signing the box or adding a personal note. If Trump gifted at least 15 pairs, it tallies up to $2,175 (Rs 2 lakh).

Trump loves the shoes but the company hates his tariffs

The shoes Donald Trump is so keen on handing out come from an old American brand with a complicated relationship with his administration.

Florsheim is owned by Weyco Group, which filed a lawsuit in the US Court of International Trade challenging tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.

The company says it paid tariff rates as high as 145% on shoes imported from China, costing it millions of dollars. CEO Thomas Florsheim Jr. said a policy meant to be pro-business had “somehow lost the pro-business part”.

Not just Trump. Michael Jackson, too

Donald Trump isn't the only famous fan of Florsheim. The brand also had a devoted admirer in Michael Jackson.

Despite a wardrobe full of custom designer shoes, Jackson often performed in the brand that was born 134 years ago. He had, after all, learnt to dance in them. “He taught himself to dance in Florsheims. They were comfortable and were what he had worn as a child star,” wrote his longtime costume designer Michael Bush in the book The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson.

Trump’s footwear fascination is not new

In Feb 2024, Trump unveiled a pair of shiny gold high-top shoes at Sneaker Con in Philadelphia. Branded “Never Surrender”, the sneakers were priced at $399. Only 1,000 pieces were made and they sold out within hours.