The Sporty Shoe Choice That Ruined One Of Usha Vance's White House Outfits

Usha Vance and her husband, Vice President JD Vance, may have been excited to welcome a winning college football team from their home state to The White House, but the Second Lady's outfit was not fit to be in the presence of champions — all thanks to her footwear. 
Back in April 2025, she posed alongside her husband and the Ohio State Buckeyes players in a celebratory Instagram shot. To show her home state pride, Vance wore a red dress and white blazer. It would have been a winning outfit since it feature the school's colors, were it not for the eye sore on her feet.

Aside from the fact that chunky sneakers were already considered an outdated shoe trend for spring 2025 by the time this photo happened, Vance's casual shoes created a jarring mismatch with her outfit. Given her position as the Vice President's wife, it's expected she will bring a certain level of polish to her looks, especially in public or ceremonial appearances. Sneakers tend to make an outfit feel underdressed for that kind of role. This faux pas was even more noticeable the players who stood next to her wore dress shoe. Even worse, the chunky sneaker added visual bulk to the bottom of her silhouette, making the whole outfit seem less streamlined, despite the dress having clean, tailored lines.

Other choices that would have worked better, including a pair of flats, low block heels, or even dressy loafers in a neutral (white, nude, or metallic) would have kept it comfortable while elevating the look. And if she has a thing for sneakers, (we certainly do, especially white sneakers because you can practically wear them with everything), Usha could have gone for a more refined sneaker, like a minimalist leather sneaker without heavy sole detailing, which might have worked better if she wanted to stay casual.

Usha Vance's distracting sneakers are far from the only fashion faux pas she has committed since entering the spotlight as the Second Lady. Another outfit that sticks out in our memory is a satin-like slate blue dress, with a wrap-style bodice and gathered waist she wore during an outing in February 2025. Unfortunately, the fabric on the dress was very reflective and clingy; a feature that can unintentionally highlight every fold and crease. In Vance's case, the material created tension lines that disrupted the dress's flow and added visual bulk rather than smoothness.

The color was also a no because it gave the look a washed-out appearance rather than helping her stand out in photos. But our least favorite part of the dress was the draping and structure, which looked awkwardly loose and undefined. The upper section appeared boxy and shapeless, than it might with a tailored waist or a stronger neckline. Meanwhile, the slightly puffed shoulders add volume up top without any balance at the bottom, which throws off her proportions a bit.

Though no single aspect of the look ruined the outfit like those sneakers she wore to great Ohio State at the White House, it goes to show that Vance may need to find a stylist who knows how to complement her shape, skin, her age and more importantly the important role she plays as Second Lady.