President Donald Trump has confirmed a unique personal habit of gifting shoes to his cabinet members, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stating he wants his administration to look 'chic' and avoid sneakers.
Personal Gifting Habit
Donald Trump regularly gifts shoes to his ministers, describing it as a source of personal amusement and pleasure.
Dress Code Preferences
The President emphasized that he wants his team to look 'chic' and specifically prohibits them from wearing sneakers.
Marco Rubio's Sizing Issue
Reports indicate that shoes gifted to Secretary of State Marco Rubio were significantly too large for him.
Donald Trump, the 47th president of the United States, confirmed that he regularly gives shoes as gifts to members of his cabinet, describing the habit as a source of personal amusement. Trump stated that when a cabinet member has a problem, he offers to buy them a pair of shoes. The disclosure drew widespread attention and was described by some media outlets as a shoe tick or shoe obsession. The story generated amusement across the United States following Trump's public confirmation of the practice.
Trump explained his reasoning in direct terms, saying he does not want his cabinet members wearing sneakers and prefers they look presentable. „When they have a problem, I say "let me buy you a pair of shoes"” — Donald Trump via TVN24 He also confirmed that the gifts bring him satisfaction. „It gives me pleasure” — Donald Trump via stern.de One detail that attracted particular attention was the case of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose gifted shoes were reportedly too big for him by far, according to reporting by N-tv.
Marco Rubio has served as the 72nd United States Secretary of State since 2025 and also holds the role of acting National Security Advisor. Trump, who previously served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021, returned to the White House as the 47th president in 2025. No confirmed historical information is available in the source articles about prior instances of presidents gifting personal items to cabinet members as a recurring practice.
The Portuguese-language outlet JN reported Trump as saying his cabinet members all look good, quoting him in Portuguese. „Estão todos bonitos” (They are all looking good / All chic) — Donald Trump via JN The French outlet 20minutes framed the story around Trump's amusement at the gift-giving, while the Greek outlet Kathimerini highlighted his explicit statement that he does not want cabinet members wearing sneakers. The story was covered across multiple countries and languages, reflecting international interest in the unusual presidential habit. Rubio currently serves simultaneously as Secretary of State and acting National Security Advisor, making him one of the more prominent recipients of the presidential footwear.