"Really ironic": Analyst warns Trump's $400 golden sneaker drop "could be a lawsuit in the making"

The shoe Trump is hawking after $355 million ruling could cost him even more money in court, CNN analyst says

By Tatyana Tandanpolie

Staff Writer

Published February 20, 2024 10:32AM (EST)

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump takes the stage to introduce a new line of signature shoes at Sneaker Con at the Philadelphia Convention Center on February 17, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump takes the stage to introduce a new line of signature shoes at Sneaker Con at the Philadelphia Convention Center on February 17, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The red soles of Donald Trump's new sneaker line, a golden pair of which went for up to $400 a pop, could land the former president in deeper legal trouble than he's already in, a CNN analyst argued Monday. Political commentator Maria Cardona, a self-described "shoe diva" with knowledge of high-end shoe designer Christian Louboutin's recent trademark lawsuits over his signature red sole, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that upon seeing the shoe, "I said, this is yet another lawsuit in the making."

"Louboutin, who is a hugely famous top-line designer of women's shoes ... his shoes famously have a red sole," Cardona said. "He has been in some lawsuits before where the court at the European Union, the court in India have said this red sole is a trademark of this shoe designer."

She added: "It would be really ironic for this thing that Donald Trump did in order to make money to pay his lawsuits to accrue yet another additional lawsuit."

The former president's shoe drop comes on the heels of his nearly $355 million plus interest fraud judgment last week as an effort to abate his mounting legal fees, which also include the $83 million in damages he owes to defamed writer E. Jean Carroll. In addition to the red rubber soles, the gilded "Never Surrender High-Top" features matching gold laces, an American flag on the collar and an embossed "T" on the side. According to The New York Times, two low-top sneakers in red or white are for sale for just under $200 as well as  $100 "Victory47" fragrances. The shoes sold out just hours after their launch, Axios reported