Trump Launches $399 Sneaker Brand A Day After $355 Million Verdict Against Him

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — As he closes in on the Republican presidential nomination, former President Donald Trump made a highly unusual stop Saturday, hawking new Trump-branded sneakers at “Sneaker Con,” a gathering that bills itself as the “The Greatest Sneaker Show On Earth!”

Trump was met with loud boos as well as cheers at the Philadelphia Convention Center as he unveiled what he touted as the first official Trump footwear. The shoes, gold lame high tops with an American flag detail on the back, are being sold as “The Never Surrender High-Tops” for $399 on a new website that also sells Trump-branded “Victory47” cologne and perfume for $99 a bottle.

The website says it has no connection to Trump’s campaign, though Trump campaign officials promoted the appearance in online posts.

The launch comes a day after a judge in New York ordered Trump to pay a whopping $355 million in penalties, finding that the former president lied about his wealth for years, scheming to dupe banks, insurers and others by inflating his wealth on financial statements.

The stiff penalty came after Trump was ordered to pay another $83.3 million to the writer E. Jean Carroll for damaging her reputation after she accused him of sexual assault. With interest payments, Trump’s legal debts might now exceed a half-billion dollars — an amount it is unclear he can afford to pay.

This isn’t the first money-making venture Trump has announced since launching his third campaign for the White House in 2022. Trump last year reported making between $100,000 and $1 million for a series of digital trading cards that portrayed him photoshopped in a series of cartoon-like images, including an astronaut, a cowboy and a superhero.

Trump’s appearance was met with clashing