Trainers worn by Texas senator during near 11-hour speech to talk down abortion legislation become bestseller online

A pair of hot pink sneakers worn by a Texan senator campaigning against a clampdown on abortion rights have become the bestselling shoe on Amazon.com and an unlikely feminist symbol.

The Mizuno Wave Rider 16 trainers were worn by the Democrat state senator Wendy Davis during her marathon filibuster to stymie Republican abortion legislation earlier this week.

Known as a keen runner, Davis took her preparations seriously before taking to the floor of the Texas senate to make a speech lasting nearly 11 hours during which rules prevented her from taking a break or leaning on furniture for support.

During her epic address, Davis was equipped with the trainers, a back brace and according to recent reports, a catheter, to help her persevere with her filibuster until the legislative session was eventually timed out and the bill, which would effectively close dozens of Texas abortion clinics, was significantly delayed.

Since the speech on Tuesday night, the webpage for the "rouge red" trainers manufactured by the century-old Japanese sportswear company has been inundated with politically charged reviews.

Many reviewers have commented how perfect the trainers are for "kicking [Texas governor] Rick Perry's ass", or how the trainers were "guaranteed to outrun patriarchy".

Kate McIntyre from Toluca Lake, California wrote: "I'm hoping that when I lace these babies up and step out, every male troglodyte who sees my feet will recognize these red shoes and know that I am dead serious about controlling my own body and making my own reproductive choices."

Wendy Davis spoke for 10 hours and 45 minutes in order to scupper the Republican abortion proposals. Photograph: Bob Daemmrich/Corbis

Other reviews are more subtle in their support. "By golly, I just hate these unamerican [sic] shoes!" wrote Lynwood Hines from Saint George, South Carolina.

"If God had intended for us ladies to wear these shoes he would have made them grow out of our feet. No way no how this good old 'merican would be caught dead in these. I know better than to misunderestimate these foreigner shoe makers. I mean come on, some of these even come in pink! Pink, pinko … it's only one letter away people!"

Another reviewer going by the name of Al Maginnes complained that letting his wife purchase the shoes "was a huge mistake".

"She's reading books instead of cleaning the house and having my dinner ready when I get home. She says she doesn't need to ask me who to vote for anymore and told me to clean my own guns.

"I had a happy home until these shoes came along. I would write more but I'm cooking dinner for myself while my wife is down at the Capitol telling our governor that she should make her own decisions about her body. These shoes are homewreckers plain and simple."

In a reference to the demands the abortion legislation would impose on women wanting a termination, another reviewer wrote: "I'm very glad I didn't have to drive 13 hours to buy these shoes, and then return again the next day after the 24-hour waiting period. The transvaginal ultrasound would have been rather uncomfortable."

Some supporters of the legislation were blunt in their opinion. An Amazon user by the name of Scottythecomic wrote: "Worn by a politician that supports the shedding of innocent blood."

It is not the first time that mainstream commercial brands have entered the fray of America's culture wars. Last summer, the fast food outlet Chick-fil-A was inundated with tens of thousands of orders after its CEO made comments hostile to gay marriage.

On Thursday Perry laid into Davis personally, saying she had hijacked the democratic process and had failed to "learn from her mistakes" as a single teenage mother.

Perry is known for making political capital out of his footwear. Like George Bush, he regularly sports cowboy boots with his suits, something which garnered attention during his unsuccessful Republican presidential bid in 2012.