The red sole makes these shoes the most recognizable in the world. The color of the "red carpet" on their soles evokes a sexual desire and makes you immediately get credit cards.
What are louboutins?
These are shoes created by the famous shoe designer, who once painted a plain sole with red nail polish. This made them a true symbol of sexuality and femininity. Rumor has it that once a rich client, a fan of Louboutin, ordered a pair of shoes with ruby soles. The creation process was not easy, but the designer, the lover of everything glamorous, could not refuse her. To deliver the shoes to Hong Kong, he first made a sole from cubic zirconias, and inserted rubies only after they were sent to the client.
How did the idea come about?
An interesting story is the creation of the red sole. Louboutin, inspired by Andy Warhol's paintings, wanted to create cartoon print shoes. The first models sent to him for a test looked like Warhol’s drafts, but the designer thought something was missing. Interestingly, he would be lucky if not for his assistant, who at that moment was painting her nails. He grabbed a nail polish, tinted the sole of one of the pairs with them - and so went down in history. His multi-million dollar business has found support with a bottle of red nail polish. But tall heels are more than just a fashion accessory. Louboutins are shoes that constantly evolve and are a symbol of sexuality, making their hostesses unique.
How did it all start?
Twelve-year-old Christian Louboutin first saw stilettos in the museum. He drew attention to a sign that indicated that it was forbidden to wear such shoes in this building, but was fascinated by the ladies' legs in elegant shoes. And he began to draw sketches in a notebook. Louboutin was not an exemplary student. After being expelled from school, at the age of sixteen, he moved and began to live in casual work, sewing sequins on costumes in the famous cabaret, and was delighted with sparkle and glamor. Burlesque and cabaret became his great inspiration, as he himself said. This explains the sexuality of his shoes. He studied under the legendary French designer Charles Jourdain, and honed his skills as a shoemaker for many years.
The popularity is growing ...
Soon he began to create projects for his own store in Paris, where in the early nineties he presented stilettos. His shoes have many fans: the Princess of Monaco, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Sarah Jessica Parker, Victoria Beckham ... Labutenes can be seen in the photo at almost every celebrity. Business is booming, and in the stilettos created by the master, the whole world flaunts. They inspired designers in other areas and they began to create varnishes, lipsticks of a similar color and accessories.
The red sole is a sign of quality. Shoes can be studded with rhinestones or hung with gold pendants, but this color of the sole remains unchanged. Perhaps stiletto shoes are not the most comfortable, but nevertheless the Louboutin empire continues to grow exponentially and sells annually more than 1,000,000 pairs of shoes in its 93 stores. And red is more than just a marketing move that makes his creations recognizable. This is a fantasy, a promise of passion, elegance. At its factories in Naples, some of the best materials are supplied only from trusted tanneries in the world, they are selected and hand-checked by experienced craftsmen.
Beauty or convenience?
A high heel is beautiful, and as Christian Louboutin himself says, he first thinks about beauty and only then about convenience. But, despite this, his shoes are sewn on blocks created by the master himself. Many owners say that it is convenient to move in them, that they fit the leg correctly and allow you to feel comfortable. Of course, in the current realities, it is difficult for any business to survive. This is also indicated by Christian Louboutin. Asian factories and factories took part of the market, a large number of fakes are produced, the price of material is growing so much that production costs double each year. But while he is one of the best and most popular manufacturers of shoes, he adheres to his own course. Convenience has never been a priority, and Christian Louboutin himself says that it is not his job to create something convenient and comfortable. He is trying to make heels as high as possible, and design, beauty and sexuality remain a priority.
Of the hundreds of projects that he created (and he has both models of ballet shoes and men's sneakers), Louboutin still considers classic stilettos to be the best. Now almost a thousand employees work for a designer, and a business costs $ 85 million. It all started with such a simple thing as a bright red patent leather sole.
How to distinguish genuine louboutins from fakes?
When buying used designer shoes, the indecision is understandable. How to understand that they are not real? There are fakes everywhere, and if this is the first purchase of expensive shoes, it is quite difficult to notice the difference. When the Louboutin shoes fall into your hands, take a minute to carefully examine them. Here are some key factors to consider.
- The seams of beautiful Louboutins are neat, the stitches are small both outside and inside the shoes. If the seams are uneven, and it is obvious that they are beginning to tear, then this is not the original.
- Pay attention to the attachment of the heel to the heel. The mounting location must be at least five centimeters. This will give you stability and strength.
- Having placed the shoes on a flat surface, make sure that the sole is completely in contact with the surface. The sole of the fakes often looks wavy.
- Look at them. If the scuffs are too strong and the red layer comes off easily, then this is a fake. Another key factor that distinguishes these Louboutins is the embossing on the insole of the heel and on the arch of the sole. If there is embossing, then it should be clear and even, and not smeared around the edges.
- And finally, shoe size. It will always be displayed as fractions (for example, 38 1/2 ), not a comma (38.5).
And what do happy owners think?
Not all women are fully admired by the Louboutin. Reviews about the brand are mixed. In some reviews you can find information that the red sole erases very quickly. Even the fact that the company repaints original shoes for free does not satisfy some consumers. It is also indicated that they are almost impossible to wear in bad weather. Under the influence of rain or snow, shoes immediately become unusable. Another negative point that consumers pay attention to is the outer side of the heel, which is quickly wiped and begins to scratch. And this contributes to the appearance of corns on the heels.
But not all reviews of Louboutins are so critical. Many of their owners indicate that the shoes are simple, but elegant, stylish and luxurious. A hairpin provides a magnificent view. But, unfortunately, they won’t be able to go to them all evening. Despite the external beauty, the shoes are often very uncomfortable to wear.
Which models are especially popular?
The most popular model among customers is the Pigalle Louboutins. They look like classic shoes, which are made both of simple smooth black leather and of other materials, have a rich palette of colors. The heel is presented in three versions - 8, 10 and 12 centimeters. Most often, shoes for 8 cm stilettos are bought for everyday wear, as they are more comfortable to wear and more stable. Black and beige louboutins of this model are sometimes impossible to find in stores - so they quickly sell them out.
The second most popular model is So, Kate. According to its owners, these shoes have the sexiest and most elegant silhouette, which gives the legs even greater harmony.
Louboutin is a style. Yes, they have certain problems in wearing, requiring frequent replacement of pads or tinting of the sole, pain in the legs, but does this stop women who want to be beautiful and sophisticated? Of course not.