Taylor Swift Relies on Herself for Support After Onstage Wardrobe Malfunction | Vanity Fair

Written by Kase Wickman

There's a saying that time heals all wounds, but some may argue that the high heels Taylor Swift wore during her concert in Rio de Janiero on Monday night may be beyond repair.

Held back by an earlier concert postponement due to extreme weather conditions, Swift experienced a wardrobe setback during her performance in her Lover setlist when the heel of her over-the-knee sparkly Christian Louboutin boots broke. Swift, in response, yanked off the defective heel mid-song and threw it into the audience. Despite the lack of one shoe, the concert pushed through.

Swift went on with her show, dancing on the tips of her toes until she could switch outfits. Social media posts by fans captured Swift's remarkable calf strength as she kept up the illusion of wearing high-heeled boots unaided. It was proof of her deep commitment to carrying on with her performance. As she sang “The Man,” her feet positioned on a railing showed off the red soles of her boots and the single heel left.

After the show, a fan posted a photo of the retrieved heel safely tucked in their bag. Although the blue crewneck sweatshirt is favored merchandise from the tour, this fan's memento was truly unique.

Swift's performance in Rio De Janeiro was her last one before she headed off to São Paulo for a series of three shows. The previous week had seen a tragic incident at her Friday Rio concert when a 23-year-old fan, Ana Clara Benevides Machado, died from a heart attack. Swift paid tribute to Machado on her Instagram page.

Prior to the rescheduled show, Swift was slated to be at the Monday night's football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles have known Swift fans in her family. Apart from this, Travis Kelce, a Chiefs player rumored to be Swift's boyfriend, was playing, as well as Jason Kelce, Travis' older brother, who's part of the Eagles team making it a family affair.