Nancy Pelosi made her post-surgery return to Congress without her signature stilettos—which she switched out for a sensible pair of flats.
The 84-year-old San Francisco Democrat, whose second tenure as Speaker ended two years ago, suffered a fall down a marble staircase in mid-December which left her with a broken hip.
Because she was on a trip to Luxembourg with other House members at the time of the accident, Pelosi received hip-replacement surgery in Germany, where her spokesperson said she was “well on the mend.”
A photo taken shortly before the fall showed Pelosi, in her stilettos, clutching the arm of her Republican colleague Rep. Michael McCaul.
“She likes to wear high heels, very high,” he told reporters after the incident, according to The Hill. “She was on one of her last steps on this marble staircase that didn’t have a railing, and she lost her footing and fell to the ground.”
On Friday, however, the first day of the new Congress, the heels were nowhere to be seen. Pelosi stepped onto the house floor visibly limping, then she received a standing ovation from her fellow lawmakers.
Pelosi was visibly limping on the House floor after undergoing hip-replacement surgery. / MANDEL NGAN / AFP via Getty Images
On Pelosi’s feet were a pair of muted light-blue flats, matching the sweater tied round her neck but in contrast to her bright-blue pantsuit.
Pelosi told a Politico reporter on Friday that she was feeling “fine.”
As a political battle rages over who will be Pelosi’s replacement as Speaker, with Republicans holding a slim majority in the House, she stood to cast her vote for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries—to more ovation and hugs from her colleagues.
A representative for Pelosi did not immediately respond to a request for comment on her footwear switch-up from the Daily Beast.
Over her more than three decades in Congress, Pelosi was almost invariably seen on the House floor in her high heels.
In an appearance on comedian Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ podcast, which was taped before Pelosi’s accident but released shortly after it happened, the ex-Speaker explained the reasoning behind her footwear choices.
Pelosi is known for wearing Stiletto high heels. / picture alliance / dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
Pelosi shared that unlike Louis-Dreyfus’ character on Veep, she does not kick off her stilettos when she returns to her private office.
She said that because most of her heels are suede, she doesn’t find them uncomfortable. “They’re like bedroom slippers to me,” she said. “They’re very soft.”
“I’m not in my office long enough to take off my shoes,” she added. “You touch base, do whatever it is. And out the door.”
