DeSantis Addresses the Boot Question

Florida governor insists he doesn't wear lifts, but a Politico analysis suggests otherwise
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 31, 2023 11:11 AM CDT
DeSantis Addresses the Boot Question
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' boots are seen as he speaks on July 14 in Des Moines, Iowa.   (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

It's one of the weirder political stories of the day: Politico Magazine talked to three boot-makers about the pair worn by Ron DeSantis, and all suspect the Florida governor is wearing lifts to boost his height. The governor's boots have been the topic of much speculation, and critics' ridicule, for months now. Donald Trump even shared images of the footwear earlier this month as he backed the he's-wearing-lifts camp. DeSantis, though, remains defiant. In an appearance on the PBD Podcast on Monday, he said he's 5-11 and denied wearing lifts. "Those are just standard, off-the-rack Lucchese [boots]," he said, per Newsweek.

The experts interviewed by Politico are skeptical about that. "I've dealt with these politicians many times," says Zephan Parker of Houston's Parker Boot Company. "I've helped them with their lifts. [DeSantis] is wearing lifts; there's no doubt." He and the others (Graham Ebner, who trained at Texas Traditions, and London-based shoemaker Nicholas Templeman) cite various telltale signs. "Three things stick out to me," says Ebner—"the instep, the toe spring, and where the ball of his foot is sitting in the boots." The piece goes into great detail on all of those boot-making intricacies.

The boot-makers agree that DeSantis is getting a boost of about 1.5 inches thanks to lifts. (DeSantis critic Ron Filipkowski once snarked about the governor having a "growth spurt" to appear on par with the 6-foot-1-inch Tiger Woods in a photo, which would sync with that estimate.) When asked to comment for the Politico story, a DeSantis spokesperson sought to get the last word: "The governor doesn't pad his boots, but if he ever needed anything to line a pet cage or fold up and wedge under a table leg, that would be the highest and best use for Politico Magazine." The topic has previously been covered at Slate, the Advocate, and the Washington Post, but there's no real consensus on the lift question. (More Ron DeSantis stories.)

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