Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross wore $600 slippers to Trump's congressional address

Stubbs & Wooten

First came Trump's promises to "drain the swamp," then came the Washington insider cabinet appointments and the Goldman Sachs alumni.

And now we have the $600 smoking slippers.

The footwear in question belongs to recently-confirmed Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, who wore a custom pair of Stubbs & Wooton smoking slippers that featured the Department of Commerce's emblem on the velvet uppers. We've reached out to the brand for further comment and will update accordingly.

As first reported by Christina Wilkie of The Huffington Post, velvet smoking slippers with custom detailing from the Miami-based brand will set you back about $625, but that's a mere price to pay when you're a billionaire, as Mr. Ross is, wealth derived from a career as a private equity investor. Mr. Ross was confirmed by the senate to his new Secretary of Commerce position just Monday — so he either had this custom job done very quickly or he was pretty damn confident that he'd get the gig.

Smoking slippers were first popularized in the 1800s as a casual shoe designed specifically for at-home use by the upper-middle class and wealthy, but have since gained popularity as a fashion statement, one that still recalls a moneyed station. It's an interesting, and tone deaf, sartorial statement for a public servant to wear to this type of event, but its the sort of telling cue that demonstrates the gap between the new administration's promises to the country and its actions.

The failing New York Times noted that "Mr. Ross has said that he wants to use his knowledge of the global economy to help improve the fortunes of lower- and middle-class Americans," however it's these sort of missteps that can ring as insincere, more in line with what Senator Elizabeth Warren tweeted: "Wilbur Ross is practically a cartoon stereotype of a Wall Street fat cat with no interest in anyone but himself."

Maybe the slogan should be updated to read: Drain the swamp, but, please, be careful of the shoes.

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