Sneaker-clad senator stands strong through marathon filibuster

Texas Senator Wendy Davis is making headlines for her efforts to block a controversial bill, and it’s not just because of her politics.

Davis, spoke for more than 10 hours in the Texas legislature to filibuster an abortion bill. She was on her feet for the entire speech, and did it all in a pair of pink Mizuno Wave Rider shoes.

Davis, who has been called a “fitness enthusiast” by the media, needed a great deal of stamina for the filibuster. The strict rules meant she would need to speak for the entire time with no digressions, no food or water, no leaning on a desk, no bathroom breaks and, most of all, no sitting.

The 50-year-old Democrat was aiming to speak for 13 hours to prevent a vote on the bill, but Republicans challenged her less than two hours before the midnight deadline for twice straying off topic and by allowing a colleague to help her with a back brace.