Billionaire Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross wore $500 velvet slippers to Trump speech

Eagle-eyed reporters who looked down Tuesday night at Trump’s speech to Congress noticed that billionaire Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross wore some downright fancy velvet slippers with his suit.

Given what he probably paid, they’d better be comfortable.

The reported creator of his bespoke slippers, Palm Beach-based Stubbs & Wootton, hails itself as an arbiter of elegance, makers of “proper, handmade genuine slippers” to be worn “day into evening, from jeans to dinner clothes.”

The ones Ross wore appeared to be embroidered with the logo of the Commerce Department.

Though it’s not known how much the shoes cost, prices for the company’s men’s slippers begin at $495, and custom styles can run as high as $625.

“Mr. Ross was confirmed by the Senate to his new Secretary of Commerce position just Monday,” notes GQ, “so either he had this custom job done very quickly, or he was pretty damn confident that he’d get the gig.”

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

Ross’s wealth is estimated at $2.5 billion. The New York Post reports he and his wife own a home in Palm Beach, Fla., not far from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.

“After visiting their website, we can confirm that Stubbs & Wooton (sic) make baller slippers for ballers,” notes financial blog Dealbreaker.

“In fact, if you’re a man of taste and privilege (or going to a joint session of Congress thematically structured around a dying America), you should be embarrassed that you don’t own a pair of Stubbs & Wooton velvet slippers.”

“If you’re an Ivy Leaguer, they even have a page just for you … unless you went to Cornell, because c’mon, Stubbs & Wooton is classy.”

Twitter had a field day with Ross’s choice of footwear for his boss’s big night.

This story was originally published March 1, 2017 at 3:55 PM with the headline "Billionaire Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross wore $500 velvet slippers to Trump speech."