Presidential Candidates Footwear

After the Ted Cruz campaign drew attention to Marco Rubio’s fashionable pair of Florsheim ‘high-heeled’ boots, we thought it was due time to take a much-needed closer look at the most popular shoes, boots, and other footwear choices of the Republican and Democratic Presidential candidates. We wanted to find out what the candidates’ choices in footwear said about them, their policies, and their direction for America.

 

Democrats:

 

Hillary Clinton:

The current front-runner on the Democratic side of the primaries, the former Secretary of State has become notorious for her custom pair of black Louboutin pumps which feature a detachable heel that seamlessly transitions into a dagger for close-quarters combat. Mrs. Clinton is well-known for her close range melee combat skills which have served her well on the campaign trail.

 

Bernie Sanders:

The Vermont Senator, whose campaign has been all about getting big money out of politics, goes with a style of shoe that harkens back to his humble roots. Mr. Sanders typically wears two empty bags of Wonder Bread, rubber-banded around his ankles. Some reporters have noted occasionally seeing the heel of a loaf in one of the bags during certain speaking engagements.

 

Martin O’Malley:

The former Governor of Maryland is currently at the back of a very small pack of Democratic candidates, but has made quite a name for himself in the debates to date. Appropriately, O’Malley’s most frequent choice of footwear is an old pair of Travel Fox sneakers, a brand that – like O’Malley – made a bit of a comeback but is still otherwise unremarkable.

 

Republicans

 

Donald Trump:

The brash, outspoken Republican front-runner, Trump may also be the most wealthy candidate in the crowded field. His shoes are also a very clear indicator of his wealth, as Trump typically wears a pair of custom patent leather shoes which are reportedly secretly made for him by a team of Mexican immigrants deep in the catacombs of Trump Tower in New York. The Trump camp refuses to comment on speculation, but reporters discovered a hand-written note tucked into the laces of his shoes during one campaign stop that allegedly was a plea for release written in Spanish.

 

Jeb Bush:

Like many things in Jeb Bush’s campaign, his favorite choice of footwear is also a hand-me-down from within his family. The brother of former President George W. Bush and son of former President George H.W. Bush, Jeb wears a pair of shoes from the Turkish-based Baydan Shoe Company, the specific brand of shoes that was notoriously thrown at his brother’s head by an Iraqi journalist during a press conference in 2008.

 

Ben Carson:

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson has been roasted in recent months over a series of statements, but still manages to take the time to be fashion-forward. Though Carson has never held elected office, he wisely wears a pair of modest dress shoes made entirely out of sliced luncheon meats. Sometimes turkey or ham, or even occasionally bologna when appealing to a more blue-collar crowd. Carson chose this route due to the number of times he has put his foot in his own mouth.

 

Ted Cruz:

The man whose campaign essentially started our look at Presidential Candidate footwear, Cruz stands out on this list due to his controversial heritage. After a failed right-wing drive to try and disprove President Obama’s birthplace, it is known that Cruz was actually born in Canada. However, due to having an American mother, he is eligible for office. To remember his Canadian heritage, Cruz often simply wraps his feet in back bacon and dips them in the cheese mixture packed with Kraft Dinner. For decoration, he uses bottlecaps of Molson.

 

Rand Paul:

Known as probably one of the least extreme Republican candidates, Paul – the son of former Presidential candidate Ron Paul – is well-known in political circles for his 13-hour filibuster of the nomination of CIA Director John Brennan. As a man always on his feet, Paul often chooses to wear various types of packing material stuffed into oversized shoes. Often wearing very fashionable but far too large size 20 shoes, you can often see bits of packing peanuts or bubble wrap sticking out of the top.

 

Chris Christie:

A candidate so nice they named him twice, Christie – the current Governor of New Jersey – surprised many of our researchers when it was discovered that his favorite choice of shoes are actually a tan pair of women’s ‘Bailey Button’ UGGs. Featuring a white fur lining and large ivory button, Christie allegedly first wore the boots after misplacing his shoes on the campaign trail, borrowing them from a staffer. However, since then, he practically cannot be seen without them.

 

Carly Fiorina:

The former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, Fiorina also has the distinction of being the only female candidate in the race. After an unusual series of comments regarding claims of footage in edited Planned Parenthood videos, it seems Fiorina’s attitudes toward reality also impact her choice in footwear. When asked for comment, the Fiorina campaign stated that she wears ‘very fashionable matching pumps depending on her attire’. However, every photo and video we could find shows her without shoes at all, a claim Fiorina vehemently denies. “I have shoes. I’ve seen them,” she said in a statement.

 

Mike Huckabee:

“Mr. Huckabee ain’t done got no shoes for no fancy-pants campaignin’.” This quote was given to us by a member of Huckabee’s campaign after we reached out for comment.

 

John Kasich:

The former congressman and current governor of Ohio, Kasich has a surprisingly aggressive stance on footwear. His campaign told us that Kasich will travel to a new destination on the campaign, leap from the campaign bus at night and escape into the forest where he violently stomps two small animals to death before forcing them onto his feet. This proved disastrous during a stop in California, where Kasich attending a speaking engagement with two Pomeranians on his feet still on their leashes.

 

Marco Rubio:

While Rubio piqued our interest for his very fashionable heeled boots, they are only one of a large arsenal of fashion-forward footwear the Florida Senator has at his disposal. Rubio has been seen on the campaign trail in $1,300 John Lobbs, $600 gold velvet loafers from Giuseppe Zanotti, $2,000 brown leather Ferragamos, and even one instance where Rubio was being followed by a pair of Asian shoemakers who were stitching together his shoes as he participated in the previous Republican Presidential candidate debate.

 

Rick Santorum:

There isn’t much to say about the former Pennsylvania Senator’s choice of footwear. Santorum ‘wears’ a thin film over both of his feet that we couldn’t identify. When asked for clarification, the candidate simply said “Santorum” before hanging up.

 

Jim Gilmore:

The former governor of Virginia has a rotation of international footwear that he takes on the campaign trail. As an attempt to show his international experience, Gilmore has been seen in traditional Japanese Geta (a wooden ‘flip-flop’style shoe), Danish wooden clogs, and even curved-toe shoes from Pakistan. Gilmore had a brief gaffe on the campaign trail when he wore shoes made entirely out of LEGO brand blocks thinking they were the traditional footwear of Lego, West Virginia. They were not.