Former president Donald Trump has embarked on a new business endeavor as he faces legal troubles and debts in the millions: a sneaker line.
That line features a few pairs of sneakers, including a $399 pair of gold high-top sneakers called “The Never Surrender High-Top Sneaker.”
Trump launched the sneakers on Saturday at Sneaker Con in Philadelphia, just one day after he was ordered to pay $355 million in his New York civil fraud trial. All 1,000 pairs of the gold high-tops that were available for purchase reportedly sold out just hours after their release. At least 10 were autographed by Trump, according to the sneaker line’s website.
He also offered sneakers called the “T-Red Wave” and “POTUS 45,” both priced at $199.
Interested buyers could purchase the shoes on the website along with a $99 bottle of perfume and cologne. More of the gold sneakers are available for pre-order.
The embattled businessman and current GOP presidential frontrunner was once hailed as a giant in real estate. That image took a big hit after a judge found Trump liable for fraud for falsely inflating the worth of his properties and other assets on financial statements to serve his business needs.
Now, he must pay hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties. Additionally, he still owes E. Jean Carroll $83 million for defamation. A GoFundMe page was launched with a fundraising goal matching the $355 million amount Trump owes for committing civil fraud in New York. It has raised more than $697,000 so far.
Trump still has to face four other trials after being criminally indicted in Washington, D.C., Georgia, Florida, and New York, which will increase his legal bills and likely put him in more financial peril.
Before Trump was the 45th president of the United States, he had a reputation as a corporate heavyweight and serial entrepreneur. He acquired some success in real estate and gained popularity for his show on NBC, “The Apprentice,” which reportedly raked in $1 million per episode. Trump served as the show’s host and executive producer.
However, some of his other business ventures, like his sneaker line, extended far beyond the real estate industry.
Here’s a List of Trump’s Businesses That Failed:
Trump Airlines (1988-1992)
Trump bought Eastern Air Shuttle in 1988 and planned to transform it from a blue-collar airline into a luxury airline experience. The company never turned a profit and shut down in 1992.
Trump: The Game (1989-1990, 2005)
In partnership with Milton Bradley, the Monopoly-style board game “Trump: The Game” was launched in 1989, but it never quite picked up steam in stores, so it was discontinued. Trump released another game in 2005 tied to “The Apprentice” show on NBC, but it was also discontinued.
Trump Entertainment Resorts (1995-2014)
A casino enterprise made up of three casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Trump Entertainment Resorts had to file for bankruptcy four times, the last time in 2014. Trump quit the board in 2009 but continued owning 28 percent of its stock shares.
Trump Ice (1995-2010)
Trump Ice Natural Spring Water was bottled water served at Trump’s casinos. It was reportedly discontinued in 2010.
Trump University (2005-2011)
Trump opened a non-accredited, for-profit university in 2005 that was sued twice in 2010 and 2013. Four students sued the university in 2010 alleging the classes amounted to “extended ‘infomercials.'” Trump changed the name of the school to “The Trump Entrepreneur Initiative” after the suit was filed, then shut it down in 2011. In 2013, then-New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed a $40 million suit against Trump and Trump University claiming the school defrauded students. Five years later, a federal court approved a $21 million settlement that Trump had to pay people who enrolled in the “university’s” courses. He also had to pay an extra $4 million to the New York Attorney General’s Office.
GoTrump.com (2006-2007)
GoTrump.com was a travel booking website that was said to sell luxury travel experiences, including trips by private jets, but it shut down a year after its launch.
Trump Mortgage (2006-2007)
Trump Mortgage was a home-loan lending company launched in 2006, but operations had to end due to the housing crisis and following the discovery that Trump hired a man to run the company who claimed he was a chief executive for an illustrious investment bank but in truth, he only worked on Wall Street for six days.
Trump Magazine, (2007-2008)
Trump Magazine was a high-end lifestyle magazine catered to “affluent” readers. It ended publication just more than a year after its release.
Trump Steaks (2007-2012)
Trump was featured on the “Sharper Image” cover in 2007 to promote this steak enterprise. He boasted that these steaks were the “world’s greatest,” but they were discontinued sometime before or after the Trump Steakhouse restaurant in Las Vegas shuttered its doors in 2012 due to 51 health code violations.
Trump Vodka (2006-2011)
Trump had great expectations for his vodka brand “Trump and Tonic” when he launched it in 2007. According to Time, Trump stated on “Larry King Live” that he wanted to outdo “his friends” at Grey Goose with his very own liquor brand. The company shut down and ceased distribution five years after “T&T” was released.
Trump Home Mattresses (2009-2015)
Trump partnered with Serta to launch a mattress collection in 2009, with mattresses priced between $1,299 and $2,999, according to Bloomberg. Serta ended the partnership after Trump made offensive comments about Mexican immigrants during a speech in 2015 when he first announced he was running for president.
