R’Bonney Nola Gabriel’s jet-setting lifestyle demands comfortable shoes. Her go-to travel footwear these days? Lately, the Miss Universe has been reaching for black and white Air Jordans.
While en route to the capital of Thailand, the model showed off a pair of Nike Air Jordan 1 Low “Heritage” sneakers featuring a bold color-blocked design with a split down the middle. The two-toned, tumbled leather style came out last year.
Gabriel can be seen wearing the same sporty shoes in an Instagram post from less than a week ago. The beauty queen appears to be interested in sneakers — and Nike, in particular — as she revealed that she’s currently reading Nike co-founder Phil Knight‘s memoir, “Shoe Dog.”
After touching down in Bangkok, the Texas native changed into a sultry look that included a sheer top layered under a cropped blazer and sleek pinstripe pants. On foot, she slipped into strappy, barely-there stiletto sandals. Accessorizing, she added an assortment of eye-catching jewelry and rectangular sunglasses.
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When Gabriel was crowned Miss Universe back in January, she became the first Miss USA to take home the title in over a decade, as well as the first Filipino-American to hold the title of Miss USA and Miss Universe.
During the final three rounds, she was prompted to answer the question, “If you win Miss Universe, how would you work to demonstrate this as an empowering and progressive organization?” In her response, she touched on her passion for sustainable fashion, sharing, “As a very passionate designer I’ve been sewing for 13 years, I use fashion as a force for good. In my industry, I’m cutting down on pollution through recycled materials.” She added, “When I make my clothing. I do sewing classes for women that have survived human trafficking and domestic violence.”
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