Rubio on boot buzz: ‘Have people lost their minds?’

by Jesse Byrnes - 01/07/16 2:51 PM ET

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) says he can’t believe the attention over a pair of stylish black leather boots he wore earlier this week on the campaign trail.

The presidential candidate was asked at a town hall in New Hampshire Thursday about the boots, which rival Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) jokingly called “cute.”

{mosads}“You made a better shoe choice today,” a man told Rubio at the town hall, praising him for ditching the high-heeled boots, according to TIME.

Rubio reportedly appeared both amused and bothered by the chatter over his boots.

“So let me get this right: ISIS is cutting people’s heads off, setting people on fire in cages. Saudi Arabia and Iran are on the verge of war. The Chinese are landing airplanes on islands that they built,” Rubio said, according to TIME.

“Our economy is flat-lined, the stock market is falling apart. But, boy, are we getting a ton of coverage about a pair of boots,” he continued. “This is craziness. Have people lost their minds?”

A photo of Rubio in the boots went viral online earlier this week and prompted some teasing from GOP rivals.

Marco Rubio is rocking some seriously fashionable black boots today in New Hampshire. pic.twitter.com/lwiSWuuCUt

— Michael Barbaro (@mikiebarb) January 4, 2016