Donald and Melania Trump prepare to visit Texas

Melania Trump knows how to dress for a society event, a White House fête, or a photoshoot — but a national disaster? Some say, not so much. 

After watching the progress of Hurricane Harvey safely from the presidential retreat of Camp David, President Donald Trump and the First Lady have departed the Maryland compound for a visit to Texas — and Melania, 47, picked a doozy of an outfit for the occasion.

While Trump wore chinos, a polo shirt, and a windbreaker jacket, his wife looked more prepared for a Top Gun-inspired fashion shoot in her black slacks, green bomber jacket, and stiletto heels, which Americans have been quick to mock on Twitter.

She feels the need… the need for speed: Melania did her best Top Gun impression as she and Donald Trump boarded a plane for Texas on Tuesday 

Interesting choice of footwear: The First Lady wore sky-high Manolo Blahnik heels

She's his wingman: She also wore a black top and pants layered with an army-green bomber jacket

She’s his wingman: She also wore a black top and pants layered with an army-green bomber jacket

All dressed up: Many Twitter users have chimed in to say that Melania's shoes are inappropriate 

All dressed up: Many Twitter users have chimed in to say that Melania’s shoes are inappropriate 

Leaving... Critics are cracking jokes about her footwear, saying she is treating the opportunity as a photo op

Leaving... Critics are cracking jokes about her footwear, saying she is treating the opportunity as a photo op

Leaving… Critics are cracking jokes about her footwear, saying she is treating the opportunity as a photo op

Melania certainly put the Air Force in Air Force One with her ensemble, layering the trendy army-green bomber over her all-black ensemble. She even accessorized with a pair of aviators, looking like a female version of Tom Cruise on a 1986 movie poster.

Never seen without a pair of heels, Melania didn’t switch to flats or boots for this trip either, picking a pair of particularly impractical Manolo Blahnik pumps for the occasion. But while those heels are appropriate for most of the events Melania has encountered so far during her husband’s presidency, many critics are calling them a ‘utterly idiotic’, ‘ridiculous’, and a ‘useless photo op.’ 

‘Melania. Is. Wearing. Six. Inch. Stiletto. Heels. To. Visit. A. Disaster. Zone,’ wrote one Twitter user. ‘These. People. Just….These. People.’

‘Melania ensures that at least her heels will be 5 inches clear of any floods. Utterly idiotic, makes her look like a hooke…oh, wait,’ wrote another. A third added: ‘What was your first clue that this Texas trip was to be nothing more than a fake, useless photo op? Was it Melania’s six-inch spike heels?’

The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon writer Jess Dweck imagined the scene once they land: ‘(Melania wobbles into shelter in 6-inch heels) “I here help. I bring you perfumes and chocolates.”‘ 

Already impractical for walking on grass on a rainy day, the shoes, some critics say, are laughable for a storm-ravaged area

Already impractical for walking on grass on a rainy day, the shoes, some critics say, are laughable for a storm-ravaged area

Already impractical for walking on grass on a rainy day, the shoes, some critics say, are laughable for a storm-ravaged area

TWITTER USERS MOCK MELANIA 

In fact, the teasing and critiques poured in quickly as photos of the couple hit the internet:

‘Only Melania would wear heels to tour a flood zone.’ 

‘UGH is right! Melania Trump with her obligatory high inch heels to a disaster area is ridiculous. Why?’

‘Maybe Melania is wearing high heels so she can use them as a weapon if they get attacked by any sharks swimming down freeways.’

‘Gotta love Melania wearing high heels to a disaster site. Real Housewife of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.’ 

‘I see Melania is ready to dive in and help… with 6″ spike heels. NOT. How out of touch!’

‘Can’t we stop being surprised by Melania’s heels? This is not a family that’s in touch with reality. This whole trip is a photo op.’ 

‘Thankful Melania is wearing her high water heels.’ 

‘Is it bothering anyone else Melania is wearing heels to see Houston? Girl this isn’t a luncheon this is devastation!’ 

‘Like, serious question: couldn’t Melania have found some cute cowgirl boots or something? They’re way more practical than four inch heels.’

Rainy days: The couple carried their own umbrellas as they walked to board Air Force One

Rainy days: The couple carried their own umbrellas as they walked to board Air Force One

Some have found it tone-def for the First Lady to put so much thought into her appearance for such an occasion 

Some have found it tone-def for the First Lady to put so much thought into her appearance for such an occasion 

They had spent the early days of the hurricane at Camp David, where Trump received updates and held a press conference

They had spent the early days of the hurricane at Camp David, where Trump received updates and held a press conference

Luckily for Melania and her heels, Corpus Christie — their first stop on the trip — did not sustain nearly the same level of flooding as the Houston area. Though the town is where the storm first made landfall, it is more than 200 miles southwest of the worst devastation.

The couple will also be in Austin — about 150 miles west of Houston — and will only be in Texas for a grand total of five hours. 

Trump announced that they’d be heading to Texas on Twitter yesterday, writing: ‘I’ll be going to Texas tomorrow I look very much forward to it things are being handled really well. The spirit is incredible of the people. The coordination between all the different services as you know has been going very well [sic],” he said.

They’re set to arrive around 11:25am, after which they will head to Corpus Christi Fire Station 5 for a briefing. Around 1:30, they’ll head to Austin, where they will get a tour of the Texas Department of Public Safety Emergency Operations Center and receive a briefing from the governor’s briefing room at the Emergency Operations Center. They’ll then leave Austin around 4:20pm and go back to D.C. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk