Melania Trump was roasted for wearing stilettos. AP Images Melania Trump has a hurricane style routine — and it's a deft political play from the first lady.

On Tuesday, she was once again spotted in stiletto heels as she boarded a plane to a hurricane-devastated region.

In August, the first lady was mocked for wearing sky-high stilettos as she headed to Texas after Hurricane Harvey. This time, she was boarding the plane heading to Puerto Rico, where Hurricane Maria hit two weeks ago.

By the time Trump landed in Puerto Rico, she had changed out of her stilettos into a pair of Timberland work boots.

She was wearing an outfit distinctly similar to the one she wore to Texas (and to Florida, after Hurricane Irma): stylish, form-fitting jeans and a baseball cap.

Trump in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico after hurricanes hit those locations. AP Images

Some people — mostly on the left — had snarky comments about Trump's outfit (specifically, her shoe choice) on Tuesday.

"Much the way her 'flood heels' left many feeling she was out of touch with the difficulties Texans were facing after Harvey, her white jeans may reiterate she's not here to get dirty," Cara Kelly wrote in USA Today. "These are photo op pants."

However, many others — especially supporters of the president — saw the backlash against Trump as yet another sign of how out of touch the "liberal elite" and media are.

As the first lady, Trump makes fashion choices deliberately and strategically. She is aware of the message she is sending, which is typically one of aspirational luxury.

When the first lady wore stilettos while heading to Puerto Rico on Tuesday, she must have known that people would react. However, it's likely that left-leaning criticism wasn't necessarily a concern — what was more important was proving she could rise above backlash, with a wink to supporters.

And many people saw the shoes as sending exactly that message.

Wearing stilettos in a hurricane-devastated region would be difficult for even the president's supporters to encourage. But by wearing high heels on the way and then switching into a stylish but more practical uniform, the first lady creates a win-win scenario.

Even if there is some backlash to her high-heeled fashion, it's met by people set on defending the Trump administration — and they have plenty of ammunition, thanks to the more hurricane-ready looks she dons once her plane lands.

Fashion is political for the first lady, and it looks as though Trump has figured out how to give her base what they want.