Tracee Ellis Ross Picks Slouchy Balmain Wedge Boot for ‘Black Hair Reimagined’ Event
Celebrities in town for the 2025 Met Gala have a slate of events in the days leading up to the anticipated event. For some, there was “Black Hair Reimagined: The New Era of Beauty,” inspired by the legendary Bronner Bros. hair show. The show featured the work of hair stylists Jawara Wauchope, Yusef Williams, Vernon Francois and more with Paloma Elsesser, Anok Yai and Imaan Hammam as models.
Tracee Ellis Ross played host for the event. For the appearance, Ross was spotted in an croc-effect leather coat and an all black outfit. She accessorized with large gold earrings and a blood red belted shoulder bag featuring a gold chain.
For footwear, Ross chose a pair of Balmain slouchy boots. The boots hail from Olivier Rousteing’s fall 2025 collection — this is where Ross’s entire look comes from. That entire range was inspired by Balmain‘s style from the 1950s and 1960s in addition to being “a touch of Africa meeting Paris,” according to the label.
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“The shoes are built on a new sculpted wedge that shifts appearance based on the viewer’s perspective,” according to the brand, describing some of the styles as “draped.” Ross’s boots contain both details. There is the draped, slouchiness of the leg, creating volume around her legs. And then there is the sculpted, concave wedge, a shape that other brands like Ferragamo and Bottega Veneta have been using as of late.
The style includes a sharply pointed toe. It also fits tightly around the foot. As the collection was just shown in March, Balmain is not yet selling this boot.
These aren’t the first pairs of statement boots for Ross. The star’s first major fashion purchase was the Kate Moss-favored Vivienne Westwood Pirate boots. She used a large check from the season 3 renewal of “Girlfriends” to purchase the style. This would have been in the early 2000s. At the time, the boots were around $780. The style is also a slouchy boot.
