Melania Trump Faces Fresh Scrutiny as Controversial 2017 Fashion Moment Resurfaces After She Pulls Out of China Trip
Melania Trump's fashion choice on her 2017 China trip had style watchers talking.
May 13 2026, Published 1:47 p.m. ET
Melania Trump won’t be joining husband Donald Trump on his current China trip, but a controversial fashion choice from her 2017 visit to the communist nation has suddenly come roaring back into the spotlight, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The president, 79, headed to China without his wife, 56, for the two-day state visit beginning May 13, nearly a decade after the couple made their own trip together.
Melania Trump Wore Flats During Her 2017 China Visit
Melania Trump wore flats as she toured the Great Wall of China during a 2017 Asian tour.
Melania is known for her love of high heels, but she made the stunning decision to wear flats during her visit to China in November 2017.
The first lady donned a pair of $527 nude Ballalla Nappa Shiny shoes by Christian Louboutin to visit the Great Wall of China. They proved to be a sensible choice for all the walking required to navigate the steep stone steps and sometimes uneven brick pathways.
Despite the lack of glam power in the lightweight, low-cut shoes, Melania paired them with a stylish ensemble of a black turtleneck sweater and a high-waisted cream wool midi skirt with an intricate blush-pink leather belt to accentuate her waistline.
She added a structured black coat draped over her shoulders to tour one of the seven wonders of the world, gushing at the time, "This is beautiful. This is amazing."
Melania Trump Wore the Comfy Slippers to Visit With Giant Pandas
Melania Trump rocked the pointed toe flats while visiting the Beijing Zoo.
Melania also wore the same chic ensemble with the humble flats to visit the Beijing Zoo earlier in the day. By then, her husband had already departed for Vietnam to continue the diplomatic tour, leaving the first lady behind for a solo cultural outing.
The glamorous former model was photographed feeding the zoo’s famous giant panda, Gu Gu, bamboo shoots while getting a behind-the-scenes lesson on the rare animal’s diet and training. Melania also charmed Chinese schoolchildren by handing out stuffed bald eagle toys as the kids waved both American and Chinese flags in a carefully staged display of goodwill.
Melania Trump Wowed in Heels at the China State Dinner
Melania Trump wowed in a stunning Gucci gown and pink heels during the China state dinner in 2017.
Melania didn't initially wear flats for her first glamorous night in China. She wowed in a stunning black embroidered Gucci cheongsam-inspired gown to the state dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the Great Hall of the People.
The Slovenian native chose bubblegum-pink Manolo Blahnik high heels at the grand event, and the ensemble was one of the most well-received outfits of the couple's 13-day Asian trip.
During both Donald's first term and his current second term, Melania has been known for almost exclusively wearing stilettos, no matter what the occasion, usually with her signature 5-inch heel.
Trump's Second China Visit Is All Business
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Donald Trump received a very warm welcome upon his arrival in China on May 13.
Trump arrived in China without his wife to a red carpet welcome with 300 students waving flags and cheering as he came down the steps from Air Force One.
This time around, the president's trip will be all business, as he'll be spending two days discussing geopolitical and economic issues with Xi, including trade talks and the war in Iran.
Trump even brought along a dozen top U.S. execs, including Tesla and SpaceX's Elon Musk, Apple's Tim Cook and Nvidia's Jensen Huang, for the summit in the president's first trip to China since 2017.
