Florida Governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis has gone viral for wearing boots that seem to have an odd shape. Some shoe experts have suggested he is wearing height boosters.
Is DeSantis Padding His Height?
The Internet is abuzz this week with speculations about Ron DeSantis’s feet. In recent photos and videos, DeSantis can be seen walking and standing in large, misshapen cowboy boots that some experts have said point to the use of height-enhancing measures.
As strange as it may sound, height does seem to matter in a presidential race. With few exceptions, most presidential candidates who won their elections have been the taller of the two choices.
DeSantis claims that he is not wearing lifts. When asked about whether he was using height enhancers, he said his choice of footwear was “standard, off-the-rack Lucchese boots.”
His opponents are taking advantage of the moment to get some press for themselves, with Nikki Haley challenging DeSantis to a high-heel-off and Donald Trump sharing trolling posts on Truth Social.
Nikki Haley and Her Heels
“I’ve always talked about my high heels,” Haley said when asked whether she’d wear heels to match DeSantis in height at the November 8th debate. “I’ve always said, ‘Don’t wear them if you can’t run in them.’ So we’ll see if [DeSantis] can run in them.”
Last month, Donald Trump re-posted a photo series of DeSantis and included the original poster’s caption: “Tell me he’s not wearing hidden heels.”
Trump’s super PAC has jumped in as well. A representative joked about a Christmas gift the organization planned to send DeSantis. They also peppered in a dig about the governor’s support of Puerto Rican statehood.
“America knows Ron DeSantis loves boots (with lifts inside of them) and Puerto Rican statehood, so we couldn’t think of a better early Christmas gift to the governor than a pair of Puerto Rican flag boots,” said Karoline Leavitt on behalf of MAGA, Inc.
The Experts Share Their Thoughts
A reporter for Politico asked several boot experts to weigh in on whether they believed DeSantis makes a habit of wearing heel lifts, and they all agreed: something is afoot.
Pointing to areas of DeSantis’s boots that wrinkle in unexpected ways, the sharp curvature of the top of the foot, and the width and height of his boots, Zephan Parker from Parker Boot Company said the evidence is clear.
“I’ve dealt with these politicians many times,” Parker said. “I’ve helped them with their lifts. He’s wearing lifts; there’s no doubt.”
Parker noted that the boots are sized larger than standard, “probably to accommodate his lifts.”
Responding directly to Politico when asked if DeSantis was artificially boosting his height, the governor’s team had a sharp tone and jabs of their own to shoot back.
A Swift Denial
Making time to insult the reporter and the publication, DeSantis’ press secretary Bryan Griffin vehemently denied the accusations.
Whether the boot scandal will impact DeSantis’ campaign is unclear, but for now, it seems he will continue to respond when the issue arises.
“The governor doesn’t pad his boots,” Griffin declared.
The post Size Matters: Height Boosters for Ron DeSantis? Experts Share Insights first appeared on Edge Media.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Andrew Cline.