President Trump and shoes

No matter where you stand on politics, we can all agree that President Trump is making changes. One thing you probably did not expect him to influence is your shoe choices, but that is exactly what has happened.

Here are three shoe brands that have been impacted:

New Balance

Even before the inauguration, sneaker company, New Balance, was feeling the heat.

Wall Street Journal reporter, Sara Germano tweeted this about New Balance.

New Balance makes over 4 million shoes in the U.S. As an American manufacturer, trade deals with other nations could put New Balance at a disadvantage. 

Still, many Americans were not happy with the comment and decided not to buy the brand's shoes any more. Some even took to social media to share videos of them burning the sneakers.

In a statement to Sole Collector, New Balance clarified its position: "As the only major company that still makes athletic shoes in the United States, New Balance has a unique perspective on trade and trade policy in that we want to make more shoes in the United States, not less...New Balance publicly supported the trade positions of Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump prior to election day that focused on American manufacturing job creation and we continue to support them today."

L.L. Bean

Iconic outdoor brand, L.L Bean, was the next to feel the heat. 

After reports that Linda Bean, a granddaughter of the company's founder, had donated thousands of dollars to a political action committee (PAC) that supported Trump's presidential campaign, liberals began to boycott the company. 

Then, in mid-January, President Trump decided to show support for the retailer on Twitter.

The Twitter endorsement upset many, and some took to social media to say they were throwing out the brand's products or no longer buying from them, according to the NY Times.

Grab Your Wallet, a group that advocates boycotting companies with ties to the Trump Family, added L.L. Bean to their boycott list,

In a statement posted on Facebook, L.L. Bean said, "We were disappointed to learn that Grab Your Wallet is advocating a boycott against L.L.Bean solely because Linda Bean, who is only one of 50+ family members involved with the business, personally supported Donald Trump for President."

"We fully acknowledge and respect that some may disagree with the political views of a single member of our 10-person board of directors. Like most large families, the more than 50 family member-owners of the business hold views and embrace causes across the political spectrum, just as our employees and customers do. And as every member of the family would agree, no individual alone speaks on behalf of the business or represents the values of the company that L.L. built."

Two more pairs of sneakers

Runners need shoes.

In my last blog post I discussed my running journey and my new sneakers. That journey has continued and thus I have found myself in the need of new sneakers.

The Asics Gel Cumulus 17 provided great support and cushioning and got me through my first 10k.

The Asics Gel Cumulus 17

After the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K, which I ran in the Gel Cumulus

After the 10k, I found out I was going to be in Disneyland for their half marathon and decided that was my next running challenge, Unfortunately, I started to notice my sneakers were really wearing out, even the lining around the top.

They were on sale at Famous Footwear, so I ordered another pair and also decided to try the Asics FuzeX Lyte.

After a few sprints down the hall, I realized the FuzeX was more cushioned and felt more lightweight. It has gel and foam combined making them lightweight, but still cushy.

The Asics FuzeX Lyte

These sneakers were comfortable and I was immediately able to wear them on long training runs.

They cost $59.49.