Usha Vance’s Fashion Missteps: Footwear Choices That Might Surprise Even Carrie Bradshaw

Usha Vance’s advancement into the stylistic spotlight has been clunky at times. There have been highlights, such as Usha’s skin-baring Oscar de la Renta dress at the vice president’s dinner after her husband, Vice President JD Vance, was officially sworn into office, but there have also been multiple fashion mishaps for the second lady.

Usha’s eclectic style can sometimes lead to fashion faux pas that might make a character like Carrie Bradshaw cringe. Her selections of footwear, in particular, have occasionally missed the mark. We’ve identified a few instances where her shoe choices detracted from her overall look, pondering what the iconic “Sex and the City” character might have chosen instead.

In April 2025, JD and Usha Vance welcomed the Ohio State Buckeyes to the White House to celebrate their national college football championship. During the event, JD fumbled the championship trophy during his speech, but Usha faced her own fashion blunder. Opting to coordinate with the team’s colors, she donned a red dress paired with a white blazer. However, her decision to wear white sneakers stood out, and not in the best way. The sneakers were overly casual for the occasion, especially as others were dressed in formal attire, and they appeared off-white and less than pristine.

At the 2024 Republican National Convention, where JD Vance was officially named Donald Trump’s vice-presidential running mate, Usha’s outfit hinted at her lukewarm feelings about life in the White House. Instead of dressing up for the occasion, she opted for a simple beige dress that, while form-fitting, didn’t make much of an impression. She completed her look with a pair of maple-brown clog sandals featuring ankle straps. The flat shoes and neutral tones felt underwhelming on such a significant day, casting a shadow on an otherwise celebratory moment.

This is one definitive example of footwear that Carrie Bradshaw would have steered clear of. In fact, as the style of adding sneakers to women’s wear proliferated, some “Sex and the City” fans wondered whether the show’s lead would’ve sported the footwear. The consensus was Carrie would never have worn the uggo plain white kicks Usha did in her Ohio State outfit.

The 2024 Republican National Convention was a celebratory time for the Vances, as JD Vance was officially announced as Donald Trump’s presidential running mate. Usha Vance, however, dropped hints that she was not thrilled about White House life, as she didn’t bother getting dressed up for the coronation. The former lawyer chose a beige dress that was form-fitting, but she underwhelmed in the spotlight. Usha then completed the look with a pair of maple-brown clog sandals that had straps around the ankles. Not only was the choice of flats on the day her husband was announced as VP running mate a lackluster one, but so was the neutral color scheme of the clunky-looking shoes.

The woman who played Carrie Bradshaw, Sarah Jessica Parker herself, has been spotted wearing flat-sole, clog-like Uggs. Do not mistake that as an endorsement from Carrie, as when Parker wore them, it wasn’t during a high-profile event, but when she was rocking a casual ‘fit in the streets of New York City.

There were several reasons why JD Vance and Usha Vance’s trip to India was rocky, but the family’s visit to the Taj Mahal offered a lovely photographic moment. The second lady color-coordinated with her sons, who wore traditional kurtas, as she donned a light-blue-and-white-striped summer dress. Once again, it was Usha’s choice of footwear that kept the ensemble from being a winner. She wore a pair of white leather loafers, and this time around, the color choice was correct, but they appeared ill-fitting and were chunky with a bow-tie embellishment around the front.

If Usha were following the Carrie Bradshaw playbook, then she could’ve still pulled off accessorizing with loafers. In this instance, SLOTUS’ fashion faux pas didn’t come because she opted for flats. The style of footwear and color choice were fine in this case, but Carrie would have preferred a sleeker loafer, such as the earthy-toned Chanel ones she wore on the show.

While on the campaign trail in September 2024, JD Vance attended an East Carolina Panthers football game along with Usha Vance. Prior to the game, the pair went to the college bar Sup Dogs in Greenville. JD wore a white golf shirt with the team’s nickname, while his wife elected to wear a black sleeveless bodysuit with blue jeans. Clearly looking to blend in with the college crowd, Usha finished off her look with a pair of sneakers. Instead of coordinating with the school’s purple-and-white color scheme, she left her white kicks at home and went with a pair of bright red sneakers. Meanwhile, JD wore a pair of gray sneakers with purple laces as an homage to the team.

This choice would offend Carrie Bradshaw on two levels: the sneakers and the color. The “Sex and the City” character may have gone casual for the sporting event, but she would’ve added flair with heels. Plus, they would have coordinated with the team’s colorway of purple, and maybe rocked the feathered Jimmy Choo shoes.

Usha Vance’s behavior toward JD Vance in Greenland suggested trouble in paradise. Originally, it was supposed to be a solo trip for SLOTUS, but her husband ended up tagging along. The couple put on brave faces, however, as they wore matching olive-green parkas while visiting the United States military’s Pituffik Space Base. When they posed for photos, the climate looked exceedingly chilly as Usha wore a pair of black pants and thick black gloves. Understandably, she rocked a pair of snow boots to cope with the terrain, which looked fine considering the snowy conditions. What looked off was that Usha neglected to tuck the cuffs of her pants into her boots, and the bottom of her pants billowed out. Technically, this was a pants malfunction, but it still made her shoes look wacky.

The footwear selection was not the greatest issue here, but rather how Usha styled them with her pants. She should have consulted the Sarah Jessica Parker style guide, as the woman who played Carrie Bradshaw sported emerald-green, high-heeled, suede boots that were loose-fitting. To avoid a fashion mishap that befell the second lady, SJP rolled the cuffs of her jeans up to let the bulky boots speak for themselves.