Kate Middleton Stepped Out in Spring's Most Divisive Shoe

Adding more controversy to an already controversial royal tour, Kate Middleton stepped out in what many consider to be spring's most divisive shoe: wedges.

On the final day of her and Prince William's week-long visit to the Caribbean, the couple traveled to Abaco — a group of islands in the northern Bahamas that were severely impacted by Hurricane Dorian in September 2019 — to meet with locals and see the restoration progress first-hand, and for the occasion, Kate swapped out her go-to, classic pumps for a pair of wedge espadrilles. Even if you're not a fan of the shoe, you can't deny that Kate's version was chic with a braided raffia heel and lace-up detailing.

She wore the wedges with a bubblegum pink shirtdress in an abstract marble print by Rixo, and accessorized with a matching suede clutch, gold chandelier earrings, and her sapphire engagement ring. Her hair was styled in bouncy waves and parted down the middle.

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Aside from Kate's footwear, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's royal tour was controversial for another, much more serious reason. As they visited former British colonies in the Caribbean, where William's grandmother Queen Elizabeth remains head of state, they were met with protests and calls for slavery reparations and indigenous rights expansion. Earlier this week, Prince William expressed his "profound sorrow" for the events that took place during an address to Jamaica's prime minister.

"Slavery was abhorrent and it never should have happened," he said, stopping short of an apology. "I strongly agree with my father, the Prince of Wales, who said in Barbados last year that the appalling atrocity of slavery forever stains our history."