Ron DeSantis' Height-Boosting Boots: Truth Or A Tall Tale?

FLORIDA — Gov. Ron DeSantis' choice of footwear is back in the news again, and offering other Republican presidential candidates a chance to get a jab in at the Florida governor's expense.

Last year, the internet and late-night TV hosts were distracted by the governor's bright-white waders as he toured Florida's southwest coast to survey damage caused by Hurricane Ian.

"You're not allowed to pass a 'Don't say gay' bill then show up in public dressed like Nancy Sinatra," late-night host Jimmy Kimmel said at the time.

• RELATED: Ron DeSantis' White Boots Steal Focus As Ian Recovery Continues

This time, the internet posed a new, not-so-pressing question: Are you as tall as you say you are, Gov. DeSantis? Or is it those high-heeled boots?

Let's back up. The speculation started with a TikTok video that garnered more than 1.2 million likes. The video of DeSantis is accompanied by on-screen text stating, "tell me he's not wearing hidden heels."

DeSantis was shown the video on Monday's episode of his PBD podcast.

"I haven't seen that," he said, adding his footwear was "standard, off-the-rack Lucchese" boots. He also stated he was 5-feet 11-inches tall.

You can't win the internet — or shoe experts — over that easily, though.

In fact, three experts interviewed by Politico said the amateur internet sleuths might be onto something.

"I've dealt with these politicians many times," Zephan Parker with Houston's popular Parker Boot Company told the company, adding he has made height-increasing cowboy boots for several politicians.

"I've helped them with their lifts," he told Politico. "(DeSantis) is wearing lifts; there’s no doubt.”

Graham Ebner, an Austin-based bootmaker, agreed.

"Three things stick out to me," he told Politico, "the instep, the toe spring and where the ball of his foot is sitting in the boots."

Users on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, seemed to be on board with these boots.

"Finally a conspiracy theory I can believe," one user wrote.

However, at least two people — presidential candidates Donald Trump and Nikki Haley — knocked DeSantis for his alleged choice of footwear.

In an appearance on "The Daily Show" this week, Haley was asked if she would wear heels so she could tower over DeSantis in next week's GOP debate.

"I don't know. We'll have to figure that out," Haley said. "I can tell you I've always talked about my high heels. I've never hid that from anybody. I've always said, 'Don't wear 'em if you can't run in' em,' so we'll see if he can run in 'em."

Meanwhile, Trump's super PAC said it would send DeSantis a pair of Puerto Rican-themed boots as an early Christmas present, accusing him of supporting statehood for the U.S. island territory, the Daily Mail reported.

"America knows Ron DeSantis loves boots (with lifts inside of them) and Puerto Rican statehood, so we couldn't think of a better early Christmas gift to the governor than a pair of Puerto Rican flag boots," MAGA Inc. spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told the Daily Mail.