Michelle Obama has traveled from city to city to talk about her memoir Becoming (our #ReadWithMC book club pick this month!), and her final leg in the States dropped her off in Brooklyn, New York. On Wednesday night, the former first lady stepped on stage to greet Sarah Jessica Parker, who served as the moderator for the evening. It was fitting, then, for Michelle to wear the brightest, sparkliest pair of boots while chatting with SJP whose alter ego, Carrie Bradshaw, has become the symbol of style in NYC.
For her grand entrance, Michelle strode on stage in a silky Balenciaga dress from the spring/summer 2019 collection. Underneath flashed those unmistakeable statement glitter boots from the fashion house. The dress is not yet available to the public, but the shoes are available to shop—if you have $3,900 to spare. She wore a pair of Jennifer Fisher hoop earrings.
This stunning outfit should come as no surprise to anyone who has studied Michelle's former first lady style and her iconic outfits. During her time at the White House, Michelle was a champion of emerging designers (she put Jason Wu on the map when she wore the young designer to the 2009 inaugural ball), and knew the public would, unfortunately, focus on her fashion choices as the first lady.
Michelle Obama in a one-shoulder Jason Wu dress on January 20, 2009 during the inaugural ball.
"I was supposed to stand out without overshadowing others, to blend in but not fade away. As a black woman, too, I knew I’d be criticized if I was perceived as being showy and high-end, and I’d also be criticized if I was too casual. So I mixed it up," Michelle wrote in Becoming. "I wore something from Target one day and Diane von Furstenberg the next. I wanted to draw attention to and celebrate American designers, especially those who were less established...For me, my choices were simply a way to use my curious relationship with the public gaze to boost a diverse set of up-and-comers."
On Wednesday night, however, during her chat with SJP, Michelle said that she chose the sparkly Balenciaga boots simply because she thought they were cute and that there were no secret messages in the boots. Twitter users agreed with her that the boots were amazing, writing, "She. Is. Wonder. Woman. On. Fire." and "Lawd... this is what my life needed and I didn’t even know." Michelle's close friend and senior advisor to Barack Obama, Valerie Jarrett, even shared this tweet: "Well, I have never seen boots like this before. Have you?"
Take a moment to appreciate Michelle's sparkly boots (and her aura and her grace, while you're at it). If you're ready to make the splurge, shop the shoes below. They too can be yours in minutes.
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