Florsheim Midtown Cap Toe Oxford
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As I scanned The Wall Street Journal this morning, (scan is the operative word here, since I wouldn't dream of telling you that I read all articles in the paper every day, that would be a lie and I try not to lie, at least to my readers.) Anyway, getting back to today's scan, a headline on one particular article caught my attention at once. "Got a Meeting With Trump? Better Wear His Favorite Shoes." Now, I ask you, how do you read that one?
It appears that President Trump has lately been obsessed with giving out pairs of shoes as presents to members of his cabinet, members of Congress, White House advisors, and other important people who work with him. Looking for a stylish dress shoe that also is comfortable, Trump has discovered a Florsheim oxford that he loves. It happens to be relatively inexpensive too, costing around $145.00.
Well, President Trump fell in love with this shoe so much that he started to buy them for everyone he knows. During meetings and other gatherings he would guess people's shoe size in front of them and later had an aide put in an order for the shoes. A week later a box from Florsheim would arrive at the White House. Subsequently at cabinet meetings he would ask, "Did you get the shoes?" (The correct answer would be, "Yessir, and I LOVE THEM!)
An aide who was interviewed for this article said "Oh, yes, all the boys have them." Then added with a smile, "It's hysterical because everybody's afraid not to wear them." Trump, of course, pays for all the shoes himself. Although Trump prefers black dress lace-ups, you don't necessarily have to wear the exact shoe Trump wears. Evidently he orders shoes for others in a variety of styles.
Listen, if the president of the United States gives you a pair of shoes, whether you like them or not, how do you not wear them at meetings with him? It would be like getting a handmade sweater from your grandmother and not wearing it in her presence. You don't want to hurt your grandmother's feelings so you wear it, even if you really don't care for it and it itches like crazy.
In a similar way, even if you don't like the shoes you received from the president, you wear them if you are going to be with him, especially at a cabinet meeting. And remember, not wearing them might be worse than simply hurting his feelings. He could turn to you in front of everybody in the room and ask you directly, "Where are the shoes I sent you?" Wow! You could be on his s—t list from then on. You might even find yourself sharing a closet-sized office with former DSH secretary Kristi Noem.
But getting shoes from President Trump shouldn't be taken as an imposition. It's really, I think, rather charming in a way. It sends a signal that he likes you so much that he wants you to have what he considers to be the best pair of shoes. He cares about you and he cares about your feet. He wants your feet to be happy in comfortable shoes. Isn't that nice? SO WEAR THE DAMN SHOES!
Look, there are worse things then getting shoes from Trump. What if he sent you a pair of underpants that he liked and wanted you to wear? Maybe he likes boxers and you wear briefs, how would you respond if he turns to you in a meeting and asks in front of the entire room, "Did you get the underpants I sent you?" That question could cause quite a stir not to mention unpleasant images among the others at the table.
And how would you answer a question like that? There is no safe answer to that question. It's like the "Are you still beating your wife?" question. Do you say, "Oh, yessir, I got the underpants, thank you!" Or do you say, "No sir, I haven't received the underpants yet." Either way, you lose.
The only good thing is, he won't be able to tell if you're actually wearing the underpants or not. Unless he asks you to take off your trousers. But President Trump certainly wouldn't have you do that. Would he?
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