Donald Trump Sparks Jokes Over Sneaker Con Surprise Sneaker Launch!

I'm not sure "Donald Trump selling custom sneakers at Sneaker Con" was on anyone's 2024 bingo card! But here we are...

Just one day after a New York judge ordered Trump to pay $355 million in penalties, the former President surprised Sneaker Con attendees in Philadelphia with his new sneaker launch.

Sneaker Con, known and loved by sneakerheads all over the world, had a surprising addition to their Philly stop on Saturday - Donald Trump! And he wasn't there to just browse the selection of sneakers. He was there to sell his first ever sneaker, "The Never Surrender High-Tops" for a whopping $399!

For anyone who didn't attend Sneaker Con but wants a piece of the Trump sneaker action, his website features the now sold-out high-tops, as well as a pre-order options for the "T-Red Wave" and "POTUS 45," both of which won't be released until August 2024.

The description for the sold-out shoes reads, "Meet The Never Surrender High-Tops. Only 1000 pairs will ever be released. Each pair is numbered. A true collector's item. The First Official Sneaker by President Trump, released at SneakerCon Philadelphia on February 17, 2024. Bold, gold, and tough, just like President Trump."

In case you're wondering, the bottom of the website reads:

"GetTrumpSneakers.com is not political and has nothing to do with any political campaign."

While at Sneaker Con, Donald Trump told the sneakerhead crowd, some of which were booing him and others were cheering him on, "I've wanted to do this for a long time."

During his short time at Sneaker Con, he also said, "I have some incredible people that work with me on things, and they came up with this, and this is something I've been talking about for 12 years, 13 years. I think it's gonna be a big success."

Sneaker Con, a heaven on Earth experience for any sneaker lover, included a day full of activities, chances to win prizes, special guests, and great deals from top sneaker sellers. There were more than 350 vendors selling and facilitating trades, so of course there were plenty of content creators sharing highlights from the event.

Soleloco on TikTok shared a few videos highlighting one special guest, Trump, and his limited edition golden high-top sneakers.

"Yo, check out these Trump 1s. $400 retail on these," he said as he held up one of the shoes. "Check these out. Check the box too, it says 'Trump Friends & Family.' Then when you open it, it comes with like a gold wrapping paper."

The video has received more than 1 million views and tons of comments. And the comment section is really where the magic is at.

"Well, it is called sneaker CON ?," one person comically wrote. Another added, "Air Felons?"

The jokes didn't stop there.

"Air Fraud Ones," "they fall apart on the witness stand," "He should open a sneaker store in New York. Oh wait ?," "Were they wrapped in top secret documents?" and many other hilarious statements filled the comment section.

Another video shared by TikToker @pearlmania500 captioned, "To go from losing a half billion in court to selling knockoff sneakers on broad street in 24 hours gotta be a record," also shared interesting information and a witty, joke-filled comment section.

"Former President Donald Trump was there selling sneakers," one TikToker in the video says to the other. "They are the ugliest sneakers. They're gold and they have an American flag emblem on the back."

They went on to explain how the shoes look like gold spray-painted shoes. Then the man in the video explains the situation further.

"Hold on. So yesterday, this man loses his second court case in New York. He now owes combined a half billion dollars in settlements in the state of New York, and his answer was to sell sneakers?" he said. They further explained that he chose to sell the sneakers in Pennsylvania because he's legally "not allowed to run a business in New York."

Then in walks the comment section and they did not disappoint.

"all the other kids with the Trumped up kicks," one person wrote. Another said, "so he tried to pull a sneaker con at sneaker con." One other added, "Slinging those jail force ones."

And of course it didn't stop there.

"instead of Yeezy he got those Sleezys," wrote one viewer. "I’m sure they are spray painted Temu shoes," added another.

My 18-year-old son Jesse is a diehard sneakerhead. He's been for years and has quite the inventory. He's constantly buying and selling shoes and keeps up with all the new shoes about to drop. This one though, Trump's shoes, he didn't see coming.

We've talked about going to Sneaker Con in the past but could never make it work based on location or date. I didn't find out about Saturday's Sneaker Con in Philly, about a two-hour drive from where we live, until Friday afternoon.

I asked my two teenage sons if they wanted to go and both of them were aware of it ahead of time but already had plans so they said there was no way we could make this work. Now after hearing Trump was there, we are kicking ourselves for not making it work. And for the record, it's not because any of us are fans. I love a good story, and my kids would have gotten a kick out of the absurdity that apparently happened that most attendees weren't aware of ahead of time.

So, when I asked my sneaker loving kid what he thought about Trump's sneakers, this is what he had to share.

"They look like an off-brand Converse Weapon, a shoe from the 80s, and it also looks like a wrestling shoe. It looks very cheap an unprofessional, but in the sneaker industry, it's not really that surprising. Not all companies put out good quality control," he said.

Since Jesse is always buying, selling and trading sneakers, I asked if he would consider buying a pair to resell.

"I mean, I guess. Just to have the story and try to get some money out of it," he joked.