Melania Trump Surprises in Buckled Flats With Retro French Flair for Flight to India


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Melania Trump loves her stilettos, but she opted for walkable flats instead today as she and President Donald Trump departed the White House for a trip to India.

The first lady, 49, looked stylish in a black-and-white ensemble, wearing a black turtleneck with a pair of straight-leg white and black checked trousers. She layered a black coat over the look to combat the Washington, D.C. chill.

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Trump is a major fan of soaring stilettos — she particularly loves Christian Louboutin’s So Kate pumps and Manolo Blahnik’s BB pumps — but she chose shoes that added less than an inch of height on Sunday. The Slovenian American picked Roger Vivier’s Belle Vivier flats, which became hugely popular in the ’60s after the French actress Catherine Deneuve wore then in the movie “Belle de Jour” (1967).

The shoes have an old-school feel courtesy of a buckle accent and a square toe, a vintage feature that’s become popular again today. Made from smooth cream leather in Italy, the shoes have a white upper with contrasting black patent accents. They retail for just under $900 and are available to shop now from Net-a-Porter.com.

Roger Vivier buckled pumps
Roger Vivier buckled pumps


Although Trump typically goes for styles from Manolo and Louboutin, this isn’t the first time she’s opted for shoes from Vivier. The president’s wife chose a pair of shiny black buckled pumps from the label in June 2019 at an event in Normandy, France to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day. She repeated the shoes during a September 2019 visit to the New York Stock Exchange.

While the Belle Vivier flats come at a designer price point, we’ve rounded up some options below to help you get the first lady’s look without breaking the bank.

Melissa, white flats, buckle
Melissa, white flats, buckle

To Buy: Melissa Pointy III Jelly Flat, $85.

Bruglia Ballet Flat
Bruglia Ballet Flat

To Buy: Bruglia Ballet Flats, $120.

DSW, ballet flat
DSW, ballet flat

To Buy: Dr Scholl’s Frankie Flat, $45.

All products featured have been independently selected and curated by our editorial team. If you buy something through our retail links, we may earn commission and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

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