Former President Donald Trump unveiled a signature sneaker over the weekend that some believe could get him sued.
Announced at a sneaker conference in Philadelphia, the “limited edition” shoes, known as the “Never Surrender High-Tops,” feature an all-red sole that some say has long been trademarked.
Released with a price tag of $399, a run of 1,000 pairs was made available online but quickly sold out, according to gettrumpsneakers.com. The shoes are primarily gold, include stars and stripes, and boldly showcase the letter “T.” The sneakers’ all-red soles, however, are what has garnered attention among fashion aficionados.
A viral TikTok video making the rounds across social media suggests that Trump’s shoes violate a trademark on red-soled shoes from French fashion designer Christian Louboutin.
Louboutin, as noted the Fashion Law blog, has repeatedly sued companies that infringe on the trademark.
“The potential issue is a relatively obvious one,” the blog wrote. “Christian Louboutin has consistently (and almost exclusively) offered up footwear with a specific red hue on the soles since its founding in 1992. And it has enforced its rights in that red sole in a growing number of trademark lawsuits across the globe.”
The blog further speculated that customers, who will not begin to receive the shoes until July, would likely come up empty-handed.
CNN’s Maria Cardona likewise suggested that Trump’s shoes would result in legal woes brought the litigious fashion brand.
“Who knew fab shoe designer @LouboutinWorld would be roped into politics! But he needs to defend his trademark red sole from fraudster Trump as DT hustles supporters w gold $400 shoes w a red sole!” Cardona posted on X. “How ironic that it could trigger another lawsuit he can’t afford!”
But not everyone agreed that Trump had violated Louboutin’s trademark. One Trump supporter argued that the trademark related to red-lacquered soles, not those made of rubber.
Many also pointed to popular sneaker designs from Nike that have an all-red sole.
The Daily Dot reached out to Louboutin to ask whether Trump’s shoes violated the company’s trademark but did not receive a reply.
Regardless of the answer, it appears Trump may have given himself an out. In the fine print on the shoes’ website it notes that the sneakers received by customers may not match those initially shown.
“The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of the product,” a notice states.
