Too big for his boots? Marco Rubio wears new shoes in the White House ordered for him by Donald Trump - the only problem is... they don't fit
Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were both pictured wearing the formal Oxford shoes gifted to them by President Trump, even if they were several sizes too big.
By ELIZABETH IVENS FOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY
Published: 23:36 GMT, 10 January 2026 | Updated: 01:59 GMT, 11 January 2026
Well it's one way of making sure your colleagues don't get too big for their boots...
When Donald Trump deemed the footwear of his most senior Cabinet members – Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio – to be too shabby, he ordered them both several pairs of his favourite formal Oxford shoes.
And last week both were dutifully wearing the gifts in the White House, even if they were clearly several sizes too big.
They showed them off to New York Times journalists who were interviewing Trump, explaining the President bought them.
Vance, 41, even 'lifted his leg in the air to show the President the pair he was wearing', the paper said.
Both Vance and Rubio – who Trump apparently called 'kids' during the interview – had been gifted four pairs of black shoes, in a gesture that could be seen as a power move.
The Vice–President revealed last month that his boss stopped a 'really important meeting' to criticise their footwear.
Marco Rubio was pictured wearing the shoes he had received as a gift from President Trump as he met Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer
The footwear, the President's favourite formal Oxford shoes, were clearly too big for the US Secretary of State
The Vice–President (left) revealed last month that his boss stopped a 'really important meeting' to criticise their footwear
He said: 'The President holds up his hand and says, 'No, no, no, hold on a second. There's something much more important – shoes.'
He peers over the Resolute desk and he says, 'Marco, JD, you guys have s***ty shoes. We gotta get you better shoes.' He goes out and grabs a catalogue.'
Vance said he asked their shoe size – with Rubio, 54, saying he was an 11 and a half and Vance a 13.
And when a third politician said he was a size 7, Trump made a crude joke.
'The President,' Vance recalled, 'he kind of leans back in his chair and says: 'You know, you can tell a lot about a man by his shoe size...' '
Which would at least be a reason for the Secretary of State and VP to overstate their sizes.