Luxury Bazaar CEO Roman Sharf bags Trump-autographed ‘Never Surrender’ sneakers for $9,000

Roman Sharf, a Russian CEO, has won an autographed pair of Donald Trump's new golden sneakers, dubbed the "Never Surrender high-tops." He paid a winning bid of $9,000 for the shoes at Philadelphia's Sneaker Con.

The sneakers were announced by Trump, who made a surprise appearance at the event on Saturday (Jan 17). The launch of these sneakers was part of his new shoe line, reports the New York Times Post.

Limited to just 1000 pairs, the golden sneakers, which feature an American flag detail on the back, reportedly sold out in less than two hours after the launch, with each pair costing $399.

Sharf expressed his excitement about winning the bid, stating, "We are going to have a winning celebration come this November, and I'll be wearing these one-of-one Donald Trump-signed sneakers—the only president I recognised the last four years." 

Replying to a post on X, he also mentioned his intention to eventually pass the shoes down to his children, "But for now will display in the office," he said.

Born in the Soviet Union and residing in Philadelphia, Sharf is the founder and CEO of a luxury watch dealer 'Luxury Bazaar'. The Russian CEO describes himself as "one of the world's biggest grey market watch dealers," trading luxury watches without authorisation from the brands. 

His business, which employs 30 staff, as per WatchPro, generates about $130 million in sales annually. It has made him a prominent figure in the luxury watch industry.

The ex-US president was met with both boos and cheers from the crowd as he introduced the shoe line which also includes a low-top style in either "T-Red" or "POTUS" white, both featuring a golden "45" on the side, priced at $305 (US$199). 

Additionally, the website offers "Victory 47" perfume for $151 (US$99).

The announcement of Trump's shoe line came shortly after a New York judge ordered him to pay $544.5 million (US$355 million) for allegedly inflating his net worth to deceive banks and insurers.