Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez invites you to walk a mile in her shoes.
The New York congresswoman-elect’s first pair of campaign trail shoes are being loaned out to the Cornell Costume Collection exhibit for those who want to witness what “hard work” looks like.
The exhibit – titled “WOMEN EMPOWERED: Fashions from the Frontline,” is set to debut on December 6 and summonses women to share special articles of clothing that have empowered them in the past. Other featured items include the inaugural suit worn by Texas governor Ann Richards and collars from Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg among many other pieces of history.
Ocasio-Cortez’s shoes were first seen back in June when the 29-year-old tweeted an image of her distressed, hole-riddled footwear in response to criticism she faced by people who attested she only won for “demographic” reasons.
“1st of all, that’s false. We won w/voters of all kinds,” she wrote in the tweet. “2nd, here’s my 1st pair of campaign shoes. I knocked doors until rainwater came through my soles. Respect the hustle. We won bc we out-worked the competition. Period.”
The Collection thanked Ocasio-Cortez Wednesday in a social media post and commended her on “determination and dedication”
“We can’t think of a better example of fashion from the frontline: U.S. Representative-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York’s 14th district has loaned us her first pair of campaigning shoes,” the Collection wrote on Instagram.
“These shoes represent the hard work, dedication, determination, and commitment of the youngest woman ever elected to Congress.”