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Why is Donald Trump obsessed with giving away $145 men’s shoes?

The shoe brand was once made famous by the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Now the president is gifting them to cabinet secretaries and media allies.

donald trump dancing with u.s. flags behind him

US President Donald Trump dances after delivering remarks to members of the military and their families at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on February 13, 2026.

Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images

President Donald Trump has become obsessed with giving a specific pair of $145 Oxford leather shoes to just about anybody who will take them, The Wall Street Journal reports.

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“All the boys have them,” said a White House official. “It’s hysterical because everybody’s afraid not to wear them,” another told the paper. According to the Journal, the president has taken to guessing people’s shoe size in front of them, telling his aide to place an order, and, when the shoes arrive, Trump adds a personalized note as part of the ritual.

Related: Trump uses State of the Union to demonize transgender kids and their families

The 79-year-old Republican president has reportedly gifted shoes to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and his communications director Steven Cheung, deputy chief of staff James Blair, and speechwriter Ross Worthington.

Trump has also gifted the shoes to Fox News personality Sean Hannity and South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham.

The Florsheim Shoe Company, founded in Chicago in 1892, became widely popularized when King of Pop Michael Jackson wore a pair of Florsheim Imperial “Como” loafers in the iconic Thriller and Bad eras. Yes, these were in fact his famous Motown 25 moonwalk performance shoes. The very ones that shocked the world when Jackson seemingly levitated across the stage.

Related: Republicans rage after Trump appears to soften stance on trans care

Now, the brand is being re-popularized by Trump. According to The Journal, some have begrudgingly worn the shoes, with one cabinet secretary upset that he had to shelve his Louis Vuittons. What’s unclear still is the motive behind this obsession. Back in December, during a meeting in the Oval Office, Trump pointed out that members of his staff did not pass the president’s shoe fashion test.

“Marco, JD, you guys have shitty shoes,” Trump declared. After giving the president their respective shoe sizes, Trump leaned back in his chair and said, “You know you can tell a lot about a man by his shoe size,” according to Vance.

The Journal reached Thomas Florsheim Jr., who declined to comment further, simply saying he was unaware of the president’s orders.

The brand was founded by a German immigrant and cobbler, along with his son. Florsheim branded the shoes and sold them to stores across the country, eventually becoming one of the companies that outfitted North American soldiers during both world wars.

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