FBI Director Kash Patel was widely mocked Tuesday after being seen sporting a new pair of customized Nike shoes, sparking a bi-partisan wave of ridicule over what critics called Patel’s “childish” footwear.“The FBI director is 13 years old,” wrote Tom Mallory, a writer and political commentator, in a social media post Monday night to their nearly 4,500 followers on X.Patel’s new kicks were first revealed Monday by ProPublica reporter William Turton, who shared a photo of the customized shoes. They prominently feature the number 9 – a likely reference to Patel as the ninth FBI director – his personal “K$H” logo used to promote his clothing brand, and the Punisher skull, a comic book symbol that has become popular among conservatives and pro-law enforcement groups.Critics immediately seized on the irony of Patel’s fixation on the Punisher skull, a symbol representing a fictional character whose creator said was an “outlaw,” and that they found it “stupid and ironic” that pro-law enforcement groups had embraced it.“The Punisher would break [Patel’s] face,” noted Palestinian-American filmmaker Lexi Alexander in a social media post on X Tuesday.Other critics zeroed in on the “childish” nature of Patel’s customized kicks, including conservative journalist Rod Dreher.“This is so freaking childish,” Dreher wrote in a social media post on X. “A grown-ass FBI director carrying on like a high school boy, just because he can.”Emma-Jo Morris, a conservative journalist-turned corporate consultant, bluntly noted that “Kash Patel is 46,” and Kyle Jacobs-Morse, a political communications expert, called Patel “deeply weird and uncool.”Jennifer Erin Valent, an award-winning author, also voiced disbelief at Patel’s latest purchase.“I cannot fathom being a seasoned member of the FBI dedicated to the job only to have this utter moron waltz in and treat the agency like a guy going back to his high school reunion to show all the cool kids how rich he is now,” Valent wrote in a social media post on X.Kash Patel is 46 https://t.co/Uqpo8AV1Hc— Emma Morris (@EmmaJoNYC) March 17, 2026