Michelle Obama Wore Sparkly Over-the-Knee Balenciaga Boots to Hang Out With Sarah Jessica Parker

When spending time with Sarah Jessica Parker, the queen of shoes both on and offscreen, it’s understandable you’d want to step up your own shoe game in a major way. That’s exactly what Michelle Obama did this week when she met up with SJP at the Brooklyn stop of the former first lady’s Becoming book tour on Wednesday evening.

For the event, Obama wore a pair of glittery gold over-the-knee boots by Balenciaga, according to Vogue. The “Knife” boots feature a pointed toe and a stiletto heel, are constructed from sequined stretch fabric, and retail for $3,900. Rather than allow the show-stopping boots to take center stage, though, Obama took a very maximalist approach, pairing them with a bright yellow silk wrap dress, also by Balenciaga, with a high-low hemline that perfectly framed her boots in the front and trailed down almost to the floor in the back. She completed the look with $550 “Baby Jamma” hoop earrings by Jennifer Fisher.

Parker also opted for an overwhelmingly sparkly ensemble, though hers comprised a pair of metallic oil-slick stilettos and a glittery black dress with three-quarter-length sleeves. In any other setting, Parker’s outfit would’ve been dramatically over-the-top, but next to Obama’s stunning look, SJP’s sparkle-on-sparkle looked comparatively tame.

During her chat with Parker at Wednesday’s event, Obama spoke about her decision to wear as many up-and-coming designers as possible during her time as First Lady, Page Six reports. “I did know that my clothes were making a statement, I knew that was the case. So we decided, Why don’t we use this platform to uplift some young new designers who normally wouldn’t get this kind of attention? Because you can change their lives,” she said, adding, “which is one of the reasons why we chose Jason Wu for my inaugural gown.”

In the eight years following the night when Obama wore that gorgeous Jason Wu gown, she went on to wear emerging American designers like Christian Siriano, Brandon Maxwell, Thakoon, and Maria Pinto, among many, many others. And somehow, since leaving the White House, she’s stepped up her fashion game even further, boosting sales from Teija Eilola’s eponymous brand after wearing one of its chic blouses during a vacation in Italy in 2017, and filling her book-tour wardrobe with pieces from designers like Pyer Moss, Givenchy, Emilia Wickstead, and Cushnie.

Related: Michelle Obama Might Be the Best-Dressed First Lady Since Jackie O