O.J. Simpson Dead at 76: Remembering the Infamous Bruno Magli Shoes From ‘The Trial of the Century’
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OJ Simpson has passed away at 76 years old, his family announced on social media Wednesday.
“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace,” the family posted on Simpson’s X account.
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OJ Simpson was an American football running back who played in the National Football League for 11 seasons. However, the former sports star will be mostly remembered for being accused of and ultimately acquitted of the murder of his ex-wife and her friend in 1994.
OJ Simpson Trial and the Bruno Magli Shoes
On Oct. 3, 1995, a California jury found former football star O.J. Simpson not guilty of the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. People all across the country were tuned in to what was dubbed the “The Trial of the Century” to hear the verdict read aloud in court.
To this day, people are still talking about all the key factors, from the infamous gloves he tried on in court to the bloody size 12 Bruno Magli shoe print left behind at the crime scene. O.J. Simpson happens to wear a size 12. Whoever wore the shoes in question chose the Italian shoe brand’s Lorenzo model.
To address that question, the prosecution called Bloomingdale’s associate buyer for men’s shoes, Sam Poser, who, during much of the early 1990s, advised wealthy socialites and celebrities on the must-have shoes of the season.
“He was very nice,” Poser previously told FN about meeting OJ Simpson. “He bought a bunch of dress casual stuff — he wanted something that was comfortable. But I remembered what he didn’t buy more so than I remembered selling him that particular [Bruno Magli] shoe.”
Bloomingdale’s did not have bar-code scanning software in the early ’90s that would prove unequivocally what pair of shoes Simpson bought that day. So, while Poser recalled that he had shown Simpson a size 12 Bruno Magli Lorenzo boot—the same size and style that left prints at the crime scene—he could not say for sure whether Simpson ultimately bought that pair.
“Eventually, after the [criminal] trial was over, they found the photograph of O.J. wearing the Bruno Magli shoe at a Bills game,” Poser told FN. “In the civil case, which I was deposed for, they stipulated that he was indeed wearing those shoes. Had they found that photograph prior to the criminal trial, that could have been a game changer.”
The shoes were not found during the criminal case proceedings. Simpson denied wearing the luxury shoes.
Over the years, the shoes have been the subject of discussions on TV shows and later on social media. “They said oj had bought a pair of those shoes but the shoes were missing. it is logical that oj simpson killed Nicole brown simpson and ron goldman,” tweeted @barbara37133046 in 2018, adding, “I believe oj killed them.”
In Simpson’s deposition for the civil case that followed the “not guilty” verdict, Simpson said he would never have worn “those ugly-ass shoes.” “Wait, so oj Simpson really said ‘I would never wear those ugly ass shoes’ to the shoe print at the crime scene?” tweeted @AngelaOceguera in 2018.
During the civil trial a photograph was found of Simpson wearing the Bruno Magli shoes at a Bills game. Ultimately, the court found him liable for the deaths and he was ordered to pay $25 million in punitive damages.
A CNN report published in 1997 said sales for the brand climbed 30 percent year-over-year during the trial, a revenue jump undoubtedly connected to the infamous case.
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