Melania Trump Wears Flats Rare Photo

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published 7 February 2017

As Melania Trump makes her start-stop-y way to Washington (we wouldn't want to either), the First Lady ditched her signature spiky Manolos for Louboutin flats when she touched down in Palm Beach on Friday. What does it all mean? Because a shoe is rarely ever just a shoe, five theories here.

1. Is this a small act of defiance?

With Pussybowgates I and II, whoever's dressing her has one wicked sense of humor and a way firmer grasp of what's up than Sean Spicer. So it might to be a total coincidence that Trump's stylist put her in arguably "less feminine" point-toes days after news of her husband's fixation on his employees "dressing like women" broke. An outright denouncement along the lines of "we'll wear whatever TF we want, you mind your own business" would be ideal, but we'll take a protest, however quiet—if that is indeed what it is.

2. Or is she trying to "loosen up?"

His accumulation of data and KFC bucket might say otherwise, but the populace is starting to catch on that Trump might not be as in touch with the Poor Forgotten as he originally made it out to be. Melania's Upper East Side polish doesn't do much to help, so maybe the flats are a calculated slackening of her image, like "Sometimes I do my own walking, even if it is to fly private to the 'winter White House.'" (Nobody ever said it'd work.)

3. Is she getting ready to run?

Think of Julia "Runaway Bride" Roberts lacing up Reeboks... We're not saying Melania has any reason to want to be freed, but we're not *not* saying a woman switches up her aesthetic for nothing.

4. She may be secretly into podiatry?

And trying to avoid future foot and back problems potentially brought on by uneven distribution of body weight, as heels are wont to do? And bunions?

5. Or maybe she just wanted a f*cking break, okay?

Don't we all, Melania. Don't we all.

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Chelsea Peng is a writer and editor who was formerly the assistant editor at Marie Claire. She's also worked for The Strategist and Refinery29, and is a graduate of Northwestern University. On her tombstone, she would like a GIF of herself that's better than the one that already exists on the Internet and a free fro-yo machine. Besides frozen dairy products, she's into pirates, carbs, Balzac, and snacking so hard she has to go lie down.