Lauren Boebert's Gold-Plated Sneakers Are A Masterclass On Cringe Footwear Fails
When it comes it expressing herself through fashion, Lauren Boebert is in a category of her own. Boebert's had plenty of fashion fails over the years (remember the infamous red "Let's Go Brandon" dress?). The Colorado congresswoman's accessory choices are equally confounding, particularly her shoes. Among Boebert's disastrous footwear fails, her frequent mistake is choosing shoes that don't make sense with her outfit. For instance, in June 2024, Boebert celebrated the next phase of her congressional campaign by pairing a black dress with gaudy gold sneakers. The shiny high-tops had matching golden laces and an American flag design around the ankle.
Boebert's often accused of wearing tacky outfits, and she continued that trend with these loud shoes. Although some people were duped into thinking they were Donald Trump's "Never Surrender High-Top Sneaker" (via NPR), Boebert's shoe choice was actually even more cringe. "These are very China, but I'm okay with that," Boebert divulged to Westword. "If I could've bought the OGs, I would have."
Lauren Boebert admitted to wearing a counterfeit version of the tacky, gold Trump shoes pic.twitter.com/FceqOWANRt
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) June 26, 2024
In photos, the congresswoman's knock-off kicks looked exactly like the official Trump shoe. Interestingly, soon after Boebert's remark, 45Footwear LLC, maker of the official shoes, took legal action to shut down imitators. Weirdly, third-party manufacturers still seem to be selling these shoes, often at a fraction of the original $399 price. Trump limited the authentic footwear to 1,000, which is probably why Boebert was unable to get them. Since then, however, several of his offered shoe styles have ended up on eBay, some with astronomical prices.
Any other sneakers would be an improvement for Boebert
Maybe it's because of Lauren Boebert's shorter height, but the Colorado rep appears to prefer pumps rather than sneakers. She even has spares at work so to change her look at a moment's notice. If she considers pairing shiny shoes and a black dress together in the future, Boebert would be better off looking to one of her fashion successes. In June 2025, she paired a sleeveless black sheath with a pair of shimmering silver pumps. However, Boebert could definitely try a different pair of kicks if she wants attempt another sneakers/dress combo. While some sneakers complement dresses better than others, nearly any other type of non-Donald Trump-branded shoe would be a step up.
Boebert's not the only one getting panned for wearing Donald Trump-branded sneakers, either. People had polarizing reactions to the shoes the moment Trump debuted them. Soon after, "Saturday Night Live" mocked the golden shoes in a sketch where they gave the wearer the ability to manipulate other people's perceptions via mind control.
Even so, the derision hasn't dented the Trump footwear enterprise. The range of styles has increased with time, including various limited-edition options. An updated version of the gold high-top still persists, this time at a whopping $799 — double the price of the 2024 shoe. Boebert can sometimes be a bit Trump-obsessed, but hopefully she's not tempted to finally get her hands on an authentic pair of gold sneakers.