I have never written a book. I have decided, however, that if I ever do write a book, I’d like to dress like Michelle Obama has been while promoting her memoir. On the latest stop of her book tour, Obama appeared onstage with Sarah Jessica Parker in Brooklyn, New York wearing the most glorious glitter boots I’d ever laid my eyes upon.
I had heard about these boots from Cardi B. rap about them—you know, those Balenciagas, the ones that look like socks). But the ones Obama wore on Wednesday night were even more spectacular than I could ever have imagined. I asked myself why I didn’t own the exact same boots. The answer: Because they’re $4,000..
Michelle Obama blinding the audience with her beauty, brains and glitter Balenciaga boots.
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The unfortunate truth is you can spend none or all of the dollars and still not look as incredible as Michelle Obama did, in her full Balenciaga ensemble. You can, however, cop her footwear game—and for a lot less than $4K.
I’m sure I’m not the only one out there with a sudden desire for a pair of glittery knee-high boots. I want to wear them to work, to my next holiday party, to the supermarket—literally, anywhere and everywhere. It’s what Michelle Obama would want. Right? So, make her proud with one of the alternatives in the gallery ahead.
Michelle Obama has been promoting her autobiographical memoir, Becoming, in a literal stadium tour across the country. And for her most recent stop—at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York—she was interviewed on stage by Sarah Jessica Parker. But the real treat came in the form of her outfit for the evening, a full Balenciaga look so out of this world not even Princess Leia could have dreamed it.
Stars, suns, planets—stand down: The new center of our universe has taken her rightful place in the intergalactic realm. And she has on a pair of thigh-high gold boots so incandescent, scientists recommend the use of special sunglasses to gaze at them, lest we burn our retinas.
What I mean is: Michelle Obama wore a head-to-toe look from Balenciaga last night—a silky, long-sleeved yellow shirtdress with boots so gilded that I will soon file a petition to have the Oscar committee recast its statuette in their image.
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There’s “getting dressed,” and then there’s slipping into this—so liquid and luscious that it seems to have molded around Obama. It’s an outfit that channels all the Marvel superheroes combined, but makes it fashion.
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The dress was featured on Balenciaga’s Spring 2019 runway during Paris Fashion Week, which means it’s not even available for purchase yet.
Victor VIRGILE
Her pointed-toe, fully sequined, stiletto-heeled, over-the-knee boots, though, are—and they retail for a cool $3,900.
Balenciaga Knife Sequinned Over-the-knee Boots, $3,900, available at MyTheresa.
In all seriousness, Obama acknowledged in conversation with Parker that she knew no matter what she wanted the focus of her time in the White House to be, attention would be paid to her clothes. Given that, she and her team, including stylist Meredith Koop, decided to use their platform to celebrate newer and less-established designers who otherwise wouldn’t get the same level of exposure.
“You can change their lives, which is one of the reasons why we chose Jason Wu for my inaugural gown,” Obama said, adding that she made an extra effort to recognize work from a diverse range of brands and labels. “There are a whole lot of people out here who are trying to make it—young women and immigrants and black folk.” What good luck that Michelle Obama was there to literally and figuratively light the way.
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While she was in the White House, Obama, like other First Ladies before and after her, occasionally faced criticism from the public for the price tag of a few designer garments she wore, which some thought were too expensive for a civil servant. Now that she’s a private citizen, though, she can wear all the runway Balenciaga she wants—and peoplearelovingit.
Turns out Kanye West was onto something when he first introduced sock boots to the Yeezy lineup. In the seasons since, we’ve seen sock boots come up alongside sparkly heels and PVC pumps, gaining quite the following among celebrities and on social media. Now the sock-boots trend is pretty widespread: There are variations for pretty much every shopper, from floral pairs to sleek pointed-toe styles. If you haven’t taken to the trend just yet, let these 20 sock boots under $100 convince you to give in. Our favorite picks ahead.
Tall boots, particularly thigh-high styles, are very in. Which could have something to with pants being very out. Just two weeks ago Prada and Gucci sent models down the runway in only their underwear, while celebrities like Ariana Grande have pioneered the no-bottoms movement, opting for oversized sweatshirts worn with only thigh-high boots.
If you’re someone who generally prefers to clothe your bottom half, however, no fear: Pairing thigh-high boots with skinny jeans, tights, leggings, and dresses or skirts of all lengths easily make fall outfits feel a little cooler.
A basic black thigh-high boot will never not deliver but, this season, there are some exciting options out there worth looking into. From crisp white styles to bold colors (red, anyone?) and prints like plaid, see below to shop our picks, many which are on sale right now. Ariana would approve.
I recently saw a pair of snakeskin boots on Instagram that changed everything for me, at least as far as my shoe-shopping goes. Typically, I spend the month of October browsing (and buying) shoes that I’d consider to be practical, like ankle boots I know I’ll wear every day. But after seeing the amount of reptilian footwear on the runway, the street, and Instagram, I’m convinced I not only need a pair, but that they’re just as neutral as black booties. Seriously, look how they go with everything:
The trend started to take hold last February as Zimmermann, Rochas, and Tory Burch all incorporated snakeskin into their collections, while this past Fashion Month saw the print prevail on the Gucci, Saint Laurent, and Off-White runways. Influencers everywhere have taken a liking to popular snake boots by It-girl favorite MIISTA, and fast-fashion brands like Mango and Zara have recently released their own affordable takes. If you needed further evidence, behold Rihanna—the patron saint of all trends—who baptized snakeskin boots as an official thing by wearing them in a recent Allure photo shoot.
The pair that captivated me the most is about $260 from Uterque, an affordable Spanish brand, but they don’t ship to the U.S. Rude. My follow-up research led me to these Rochas knee-high snakeskin boots that were all over street style this past month but retail for $1,575:
The Rochas boot of my dreams retails for $1,575 at Farfetch
For reasons I probably don’t need to explain, that’s approximately $1,575 above my fall shoe budget. Determined to find more snakeskin boots, I came up with 16 respectable alternatives—some knee high, some not—all for at least $1,300 less than the designer option. See below for your next impulse purchase.
Welp, it’s snowing, raining, and/or freezing in most parts of the country, which means you have two options: (1) Strap on your chunky winter boots and change into the shoes that actually go with your outfit when you get to the office; or (2) Wear a pair of boots that protects your feet and looks appropriate with your work ensemble. In the interest of sanity, we’re going with number 2. Ahead, here are 23 wintry ankle boots that are comfy and warm, and will look good with whatever you wear to the office.
