Trump turns Florsheim into White House status symbol: report

Trump turns Florsheim into White House status symbol: report

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Written by Jude Snowden

March 12, 2026

Trump has surprised some Cabinet members, White House advisors and members of Congress with the shoes – sometimes even guessing their sizes and instructing staff to place the orders. The president personally pays for the footwear, The Wall Street Journal reported.

At Cabinet meetings, Trump has reportedly even asked recipients, “Did you get the shoes?”

Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are among those who have received pairs, according to the Journal.

President Donald Trump alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff at the World Economic Forum (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“All the boys have them,” one White House official said.

Trump recently began looking for footwear for long workdays and chose Florsheim, whose shoes typically sell for about $145.

Some officials now wear the shoes when they are around the president, and in some cases reluctantly, the Journal reported.

Florsheim shoe sign

Founded in Chicago in 1892, Florsheim supplied U.S. troops during both World Wars and was once worn by President Harry Truman. (Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

During a December Oval Office meeting, Trump reportedly noticed Vance and Rubio’s footwear, suggested they needed an upgrade and asked for their sizes, the Journal reported.

“You know, you can tell a lot about a man by his shoe size,” Vance later recalled Trump saying.

A photo of Rubio’s shoes has since gone viral, with some online critics speculating that his pair appeared too large.

Founded in Chicago in 1892, Florsheim supplied U.S. troops during both World Wars and was once worn by President Harry Truman. The company is now part of Wisconsin-based Weyco Group.

President Trump Departs Japan

President Donald Trump gestures as he prepares to board Air Force One to depart for South Korea at Haneda Airport on Oct. 29, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Thomas Florsheim Jr., CEO of Weyco Group and a fifth-generation family member, told the Journal he was unaware of the president’s purchases.

The White House and Florsheim did not respond to request for comment.