Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ Favorite Shoe Is As Basic As It Gets

Sarah Huckabee Sanders relies on one shoe with almost comical consistency: A nude, block-heeled sandal so nondescript it looks like it was plucked from the back aisle of a suburban Target. With two padded straps and a serviceable heel, it’s easy to see the logic. This particular shoe offers just enough life to register as formal alongside the adequate support required to survive a long day of optics. The color goes with everything and the heel won’t slow you down. Neutral is typically a safe choice too — a shade of diplomacy, not meant to offend. And yet, in Sanders’ hands, or rather, on her feet, even beige manages to come off as vaguely combative.

The Arkansas governor wears these shoes with such relentless regularity that we’ve started to wonder whether she owns several identical pairs, or if it’s simply the most durable object in Arkansas politics. They were there when she launched her “Make America Healthy Again” plan (via Instagram), in a photo op with DJ Daniel, and as she gazed into a golden-streaked sunset beside her husband, Bryan Sanders. In fact, these clompers even went national.

sarahhuckabeesanders / Instagram
In 2024, they stepped confidently onto Donald Trump’s presidential campaign trail, as Sanders joined a panel line-up of MAGA leading ladies. The women of the GOP have been known to butcher the very concept of fashion — consider the Republican vest trend, the latest style movement we wish would end, or the Trump women whose outfits totally missed the mark in 2025. But even among a sea of guaranteed faux pas, these ghastly shoes still managed to stand out as utterly dreadful. They were also spotted on Instagram on National Take Your Kids to Work Day, prompting a single, sincere hope that Sanders’ children don’t step into these shoes.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders has plenty of options

Of course, by now, we know that Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ personal style is a bit tenuous. The Republican relies consistently on one particularly tired dress trend, while Sanders’ biggest fashion fails prove she needs a new stylist. Her favorite shoe might be practical, but there are far better alternatives on the table. Updated Mary Janes are one of the formerly outdated shoe trends back in style for 2025; this balancing of retro and modern might at least add some visual interest. Otherwise, a sleek kitten heel would give the Arkansas governor the height and formality of a heel, without the clunk.

If she insists on open-toed, a kitten heel mule offers the same ease (though we’d recommend glossing over the summer pedicure trends that will stun first). The politician is fiercely loyal to her frocks, which leaves ample room for more adventurous footwear. The floral dress Sanders wore that looked like it could use an iron, for example — a blue, knee-length number with buttons down the front and a tie at the waist — could have been styled with a fun boot. To be fair, she is not the sole practitioner of this aesthetic inertia.

A beige orthodoxy has taken hold among the women of Republican politics, especially where shoes are concerned. The nude pointed toe, stiletto heeled pump is the bland shoe trend that’s taken MAGA women by storm, and we’re begging for a style upgrade. Lara Trump, a well-documented devoted acolyte, wore a pair to interview Jack Ciattarelli ahead of New Jersey’s gubernatorial race (via Instagram). Karoline Leavitt, too, favors the same shade. They’re all staying on message, but we wish they’d give their nude shoes their marching orders.