Michelle Obama Says That Look Had Barack So Smitten He Couldn’t Keep It Together
Michelle Obama is reflecting on one of her most viral looks during her early post-White House days.
One standout look from Michelle Obama’s post-White House era — and one her husband, former President Barack Obama, particularly loved — was the pair of gold, glittering Balenciaga boots she wore during her 2018 Becoming book tour.
She recently sat with Byrdie magazine for an exclusive interview, where she discussed her newly released fashion book called “The Look.” In it, Obama takes readers on a journey of her approach to beauty and fashion as first lady and how her style has developed outside of that role.
Looking back on one of her viral moments, Michelle Obama told Byrdie on Nov. 4, “The Balenciaga boots. Those created quite the shock wave.”
To close out the New York stop of her “Becoming” book tour, Obama stunned in a long-sleeved yellow satin dress during her onstage conversation with Sarah Jessica Parker at the Barclays Center.
The elegant gown featured a daring high slit that perfectly showcased the real star of the look — her glittering gold Balenciaga boots, which instantly stole the show.
“I wasn’t going to wear them,” she admitted, before telling her stylist, “‘Meredith got those, and she was like, ‘She’ll never wear these.’ I put them on and was like, ‘Okay, we’re going for it.’
Meredith Koop, who has styled Michelle Obama since 2010, was the mastermind behind the bold fashion moment. She commissioned the nearly $4,000 boots from Balenciaga and later told InStyle they were “a real wild card” that ended up being a success.
Obama told Byrdie, “I wouldn’t have done that as first lady because the boots would’ve taken over. You don’t give a speech in those boots. You can’t show up at a state dinner with those boots. But you can [wear them] on your book tour in New York with Sarah Jessica Parker.”
The viral glitter boots became an unforgettable fashion moment — one that fans, magazines, and blogs still revisit in nostalgic editorials years later. No First Lady had ever delivered such a dazzling, unapologetically bold look. The moment even inspired a parody Twitter account titled “Michelle Obama’s Balenciagas (@MObamasBoots),” dedicated entirely to celebrating the iconic footwear.
“I mean she WORE those boots with poised elegance!” wrote one person in Birdie’s comment section. Another said, “I was in the audience and we were screaming for those boots!!!! The dress too!!! That night was.”
Most agreed, “And she looked TF good.”
Woah, your favorites highlight why Michelle Obama graced so many magazine covers, yet Melania Trump continues to be snubbed.
In another brave fashion foray, here’s the lovely & gracious Obama wearing Balenciaga’s thigh-high rainbow prism sequined boots & yellow dress. Scarier… pic.twitter.com/TqexnHV834
— Dana Ritenour (@Revel8Nation) October 31, 2025
The mother of two made several headlines after she wore the boots and sparked online chatter and praise. Even her husband Barack liked them.
Michelle was a guest on Oprah Winfrey’s 2020 Vision Tour in Brooklyn, and the two ladies kicked off their conversation with some dialogue about the infamous boots.
Winfrey asked, “Does this feel like déjà vu all over again for you? Because you were here wearing those bad Balenciaga gold boots.”
Michelle chuckled and said, “Yeah, Barack is like, ‘Where are those boots? What’d you do with those boots?’” she said. “It’s like, ‘They’re put away, honey, just settle down.”
Obama recently wore another pair of Balenciaga boots during her special live taping of “IMO: The Look” with Tracee Ellis Ross. It took place on Wednesday, Nov. 5, and she wore black Knife over-the-knee style boots from the brand with an asymmetric gown from Loewes that was black, yellow, and pink.
The live taping is part of a six-part limited companion series of Obama’s podcast with her brother Craig Robinson called, “IMO With Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson.”
