While most presidential fashion critiques focus on ties or tailoring, Donald Trump’s latest state dinner look has internet sleuths examining his footwear as if they are digital versions of the late Joan Rivers.
The 79-year-old commander in chief’s evening attire at King Charles III’s lavish Windsor Castle banquet sparked a peculiar debate that had nothing to do with his tuxedo and everything to do with what was happening below his ankles.
The Sept. 17 state dinner represented the pinnacle of diplomatic pageantry, with Trump and First Lady Melania joining British royalty for an evening of carefully choreographed elegance. While Melania drew attention in her yellow Carolina Herrera gown, according to Vogue, it was the president’s formal footwear that became the unexpected star of social media commentary.
A posed photograph featuring the American couple alongside King Charles and Queen Camilla revealed what appeared to be an ill-fitting shoe situation that immediately caught the eye of eagle-eyed observers.
View on Threads
“This is the final thing that pissed me right off. Horrendously fitting dress shoes,” wrote Threads user @supasal62, who provided a detailed analysis comparing Trump’s footwear to the king’s impeccably fitted formal shoes.
The critic continued, “The King, left, has his weight evenly distributed throughout his highly polished dress shoes. (Chef’s kiss, Your Majesty.)Trump’s feet are hanging over the outside of both shoes, meaning the leather is being worn from the SHOE, not the sole. (Easily fixed with a good orthotic.)”
The observation triggered a cascade of colorful reactions, with Threads users expressing both bewilderment and amusement at the apparent footwear malfunction.
“Bruh is that real? Dude has shoes like Bozo the clown! Sorry Bozo, no front!” commented one observer, while another declared, “Those shoes are fighting a war right now.”
The commentary ranged from genuine concern to outright mockery, with one user questioning, “He is way too rich to have his shoes leaning like that.”
One person wrote, “What’s Going On with His Feet?”
This latest scrutiny adds another chapter to the ongoing fascination with Trump’s lower extremities, particularly following widespread attention to his swollen ankles.
Content creator Corey Marshall-Steele had previously created viral content comparing the ankles of prominent political figures, highlighting the visible difference between Trump’s noticeably swollen lower legs and the more proportionate appearances of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris. The comparison proved particularly ironic given Trump’s previous criticism of Biden’s appearance, including his 2023 comment that the former president looked like he was “walking on toothpicks.”
Medical reports later confirmed Trump’s diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency, a condition affecting blood circulation in the legs that commonly occurs in individuals over 70. While his physician described the condition as “benign and common,” it has become a source of ongoing social media commentary, with critics dubbing his appearance “cankles.”
The footwear incident represented just one of several moments during the UK visit that generated online buzz.
Earlier in the trip, protesters had projected images of Trump onto Windsor Castle walls, while a perfectly timed moment during the royal parade showed a horse defecating directly in front of the presidential party, inspiring its own wave of internet humor.
View on Threads
Trump’s banquet speech also drew attention when he appeared to struggle through portions of his remarks, leading to speculation about his preparedness for such formal occasions.
Even a California Gov. Gavin Newsom parody account joined the commentary when Trump declared America the “hottest country anywhere in the world” during his speech, responding with characteristic sarcasm about the president’s apparent belief in global warming.
WE'RE THE HOTTEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD?? OMG. OUR DUMPLING FINALLY BELIEVES IN GLOBAL WARMING!! WHAT’S NEXT? LEARNING HISTORY? HOW TO READ? SHOWER? MATH? THE 1ST AMENDMENT? IF DONNY KEEPS IT UP THEN I, GOVERNOR GAVIN C. NEWSOM, WILL MAKE HIM MY INTERN. HE'LL WATCH ME FIGHT FOR… pic.twitter.com/86tvSiYYVn
— Governor Newsom Press Office (parody) (@AwesomeNewsom) September 18, 2025
The shoe situation, however, seemed to capture something uniquely relatable about the challenges of formal events.
As one Threads user noted, “Hey doctors. Why is he standing like this? Look at his feet,” the question that inspired countless responses and theories about everything from orthotic needs to simple shoe sizing issues.
What started as a buttoned-up dinner meant to project diplomacy turned into a reminder of how fast social media can flip the script. In today’s digital age, no gesture, no outfit, and no angle is safe from becoming a talking point, especially with a president who is known for carelessly mocking others.
But here, I’ll start with this.
— 🌴island girl 🌺 (@cynthia_kirk03) November 10, 2023
Try Google search: Donald Trump mocks disabled. pic.twitter.com/5B8s1pH1Fr
With zoomed-in screenshots and commentary flying in real time, even the most polished political moments can quickly become fodder for the court of public opinion.
