With her filibuster, the Texas state senator rocketed to stardom--taking her now-famous pink sneakers with her. Sales on Amazon have spiked, and the website's comments board is now a forum for a debate about abortion.
Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, stands on a near empty senate floor as she filibusters in an effort to kill an abortion bill, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Eric Gay/AP)
Shoe-maker Mizuno may want to consider Democratic Texas Sen. Wendy Davis as the brand’s new spokesperson. Since Davis stood in an all-day filibuster to block an abortion vote in the Texas Senate, the sneakers she wore–Mizuno Wave Rider 16 running shoes–have become the top-selling women’s shoe in all categories on Amazon. And as sales for the filibuster sneakers have spiked, the Amazon reviews have emerged as a political forum for the abortion debate.
Davis rocketed to political stardom this week after blocking one of the most restrictive abortion bills in the country. On Wednesday, Texas Governor Rick Perry announced he would reconvene the State Legislature July 1 in a second and likely successful attempt to pass the measure. Perry attacked Davis’s background the following day while addressing the National Right to Life Convention.
“Even the woman who filibustered the Senate the other day was born into difficult circumstances. She was the daughter of a single woman, she was a teenage mother herself. She managed to eventually graduate from Harvard Law School and serve in the Texas senate. It’s just unfortunate that she hasn’t learned from her own example that every life must be given a chance to realize its full potential and that every life matters.”
A few hours later, Wendy Davis tweeted a response.
Today, @GovernorPerry shamefully attacked me and my family, further exposing his belief that he knows what’s best for Texas women.— Wendy Davis (@WendyDavisTexas) June 27, 2013