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Michelle Obama showed her love of bold Balenciaga boots during a special live taping of “IMO: The Look” with Tracee Ellis Ross at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Howard Gilman Opera House on Wednesday. The episode is part of a six-part limited companion series to the podcast “IMO With Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson,” which the former first lady hosts alongside her brother. Obama is promoting her new book “The Look,” which focuses on her style evolution.
After discussing her viral sequined Balenciaga Knife boots in an ABC special with Robin Roberts, Obama stepped out in the striking luxury style — but this time in a toned-down black option that let her Loewe dress take the spotlight. She appeared to be wearing the label’s Knife over-the-knee style, which hugs the skin like leggings with a matte spandex material. The Knife shape stands out with dramatic lines, including an elongated pointed toe and curved protruding heel counter. Altogether the boot gives the appearance of a seamless pant-shoe hybrid creation. Obama’s most famous Balenciaga boot moment is the aforementioned sequined style she wore for an interview with Sarah Jessica Parker amid the “Becoming” book tour in 2018.
For this more recent occasion, Obama paired her Balenciaga shoes with a striking dress from Loewe’s spring 2026 collection, the first presented by new head designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, who moved to the label from Proenza Schouler. It was a black fitted asymmetric dress with a dramatic-cape like feature introducing bright yellow and pink to the look.
Ross, who was somewhat coordinated with Obama as she had on Balenciaga Knife pumps, steered the conversation to touch on key moments and looks showcased in the new book.
“I was a working woman with a strategic mind and ideas about what I needed to do — I didn’t want the clothes to talk louder than the work that I did,” Obama said. “The book is a collection of beautiful photographs. It is a lovely walk down memory lane.”
“Fashion shows how we can express ourselves through what we wear and tell people how we want them to regard us,” Ross said. “Our clothes can be a tool for creativity and joy and expression of freedom – they can connect us to our history and message the future.”
Michelle Obama’s Most Memorable Footwear Looks, From The White House to the Red Carpet
