Victoria Beckham Subverts Airport Style Norms in Skintight Pantaboots

Many of us imminently dread the airport. The rush of arriving on time, navigating a maze of escalators and gates, and fighting to stay awake so boarding calls aren't missed—it's a uniquely stressful and overwhelming whirlwind. This is on top of the added pressure of packing and dressing for mid-air travel, where every tier of athleisure and business attire is on display. Victoria Beckham, however, does not fall into this category. While arriving in New York City on Monday, Beckham wore a pair of Pantaboots. Instead of opting for, say, comfy sneakers or slides, Posh Spice chose the skintight shoe-pant hybrid beloved by iconoclastic dressers like Rihanna and Kim Kardashian.

As someone who's made entering and exiting airports something of an art form, the self-professed high heels lover has no rules for how formal, sharp, or blatantly "fashion" a travel outfit can be. After all, there's a reason those images with husband David—where she's gleefully draped in a perfect brown '90s dress and heeled sandals alongside a stack of Louis Vuitton luggage—have been on our mood boards for decades. Beckham doesn't treat dressing for the airport any differently than dressing for an office meeting, lunch, or downtime with her kids. What you see is what you get with Posh Spice.

In this instance, Beckham's jet-set attire prominently featured Balenciaga's Pantaboots: a hybrid creation by creative designer Demna that merges stretchy legging-like uppers with a pointed-toe base. Thin stiletto heels complete the pair with a sultry height boost, simultaneously prompting numerous mental queries: Are they boots? Are they pants? Are they leggings? These are questions fashion insiders and outsiders alike have pondered since the style was first introduced, and we truly may never know.

The Spice Girl nonchalantly layered her legging-like heels with an oversized olive green canvas parka, cinched by metal-tipped drawstrings to create a streamlined, utilitarian look. A rounded hood, paneled bodice, and faintly flared hem finished the piece with a sharp silhouette, affirming this was not a run-of-the-mill airport hoodie or windbreaker—it's a tougher upgrade that remains both sheltering and practical.

Lastly, Beckham—a longtime accessories fanatic, evidenced by her extensively chronicled sunglasses, shoes, and Hermès Birkin collections—completed her airport look with oversized black sunglasses and a gleaming silver bracelet. A large, smooth black leather clutch with gold hardware, hailing from her namesake fashion brand, chicly ensured her essentials were at the ready while still making a style statement—and, as always, remaining decisively on-brand.

Aside from her latest outing, Pantaboots aren'y new territory for Beckham. Throughout the 2020s, the Victoria Beckham Beauty founder stepped out on multiple occasions in silky and crystal mesh-covered styles and fishnet-patterned pairs boasting the same pointed toes and soaring heels for a height-boosting flair. She's also no stranger to high-coverage heels, having introduced over-the-knee boots in a range of jersey, leather, and mesh colorways for her own brand over the years. 

As for us? We're keeping our eyes peeled for Beckham's next moves—and what she'll wear for the occasion.