What are Louboutins?

Do you still remember the sensational song of the Leningrad group called “Exhibit” a couple of years ago? Yes, about that girl in beautiful pants and Louboutins on her feet. Of course, Louboutins were popular before, but now they have become particularly famous. What they are and how they are worn is inside the article.

What kind of shoes are Louboutins?

Louboutins are beautiful and elegant women's shoes, usually with high heels.. For many girls, having such shoes is a cherished dream. Among the many models, you can choose the right one for each “Cinderella”.

Why are they called that?

In fact, the name “Louboutins” from the point of view of languages ​​and translation is not entirely correct and colloquial. In fact, it is correct to say “Louboutins”. The fact is that the name of the shoes comes from the name of their creator - the French shoe genius Christian Louboutin. In French, his name is Christian Louboutin, and the combination ou in Russian is read as “u”, not “a”.This is not so important, but what is important is that the surname has become a household name. The shoes bear the name of the author, and this speaks of his unconditional talent and great contribution to the development of the fashion industry.

Main differences from other shoes

Statistically, Louboutins are one of the most recognizable pairs of shoes. Even without being a specialist, they can be recognized by two distinctive features:

• high heel. It usually reaches 12–14 cm. Despite such an impressive height, the owners of the coveted pair note that the shoes do not create discomfort for their feet, and they can walk in them throughout the day. It's all about the comfortable last, which took months to develop, as well as the platform hidden in the shoe;
• red sole. This is not just a distinctive feature of the brand, but a patented trademark. It is by the scarlet sole that you can distinguish Louboutins from similar models by other designers. No fashion house can use this distinctive sign in its collections. It is known that Louboutin came up with this feature completely by accident: one day, while puzzling over another pair, the fashion designer saw one of his assistants painting her nails with red varnish. It was then that the idea came to his mind to paint the soles scarlet. He did this more than once: Each pair began to be made with a bright sole. Thus began the era of Louboutins.

The red sole was patented not 20 years ago, but quite recently - in 2012, although it was also previously used by the brand. It was from this moment that a court in New York recognized that only the Louboutin brand could exclusively use the scarlet color when creating shoes. The brand sought to obtain this right for 6 long years.

History of appearance

Long before the advent of red soles, eight-year-old Christian drew sketches of shoes in his school notebook, which his teachers did not like. By the age of 16, the young man fell in love with the Parisian theater. What inspired him most was the art of dance. The slender legs of the dancers described complex pirouettes in high heels, and Louboutin watched their every movement. He didn’t just look, but reasoned about what ideal women’s shoes should be. Then he derived his formula: shoes should combine comfort and beauty, emphasizing the elegance and attractiveness of women's legs.

Louboutin quickly mastered the shoe sketch, and in the early 80s, his sketches were appreciated by Charles Jourdan, one of the most famous fashion designers in France. He taught Christian many of the technicalities of creating shoes, after which the young man worked at the world famous fashion houses Chanel and Saint Laurent.

All of Louboutin's work was imbued with originality, so he opened his own store, Passage Vero-Dodat, at the age of 28. His shoes created a real sensation among French women, and his collection of shoes with transparent heels excited the minds of many couturiers.

Since 1994, Christian Louboutin began producing shoes with red soles. Since then, to the present day, it has remained an absolute favorite in the shoe fashion industry.

Why are they so popular?

What is the secret to the success of Louboutins? The creator himself believes that the problem is not the red sole and high heels. He himself has repeatedly said that he shoes are popular only because they are beautiful and comfortable at the same time. They are liked not only by housewives, but also by men. Louboutin calls this effect “follow me,” which translates to “follow me.” Red is the color of passion, and men are attracted to beautiful women's legs in shoes.

Women themselves who wear Louboutins appreciate their versatility.They can be successfully combined with either a tight cocktail dress or a floor-length dress. Pumps from a well-known brand also fit perfectly into looks with skinny jeans and are combined with a business trouser and skirt suit. They become the highlight of any festive or everyday look. This is why their owners value them. You can be on your feet all day or a holiday party, but Louboutins won’t ruin your time with discomfort and pain in your feet..

What shoe models are there?

Louboutins come in hundreds of varieties, each notable for its shape, heel height and openness. There are several models that many girls would like to get:

1. classic pumps from Christian Louboutin. Perhaps this is the most sophisticated representative of all created. In them, the leg looks very gentle and feminine. Their mandatory element is a beautiful pointed sock that slightly reveals the toes. They are produced not only in classic black and beige colors, but also in bright shades, and are also decorated with spikes, rhinestones and sparkles. Such pump models as Pigalle and Decollete have become iconic;
2. Louboutins on a high platform. The heel on the Maggie and Lady Daf models looks infinitely high, but the situation is saved by the platform hidden in the front of the shoe. It reaches a height of 3–5 cm, so when walking the height of the shoe is not so noticeable;
3. stiletto sandals. Among them there are models with both open and closed noses. Their peculiarity is that a thin strap fits around the ankle, which gracefully emphasizes the thin female leg;
4. over the knee boots and ankle boots. Most often they are produced in classic black color made of suede or leather. In combination with the red sole it looks bold and very stylish.

How can you tell if they are real or fake?

Unfortunately, the popularity of the shoes played a cruel joke on them: they began to be counterfeited very often. If you know a few tricks, it will not be difficult to distinguish the original from the fake, even if you are not a fashion specialist. If you are going to buy your own pair, pay attention to the following differences:

• shoe box. The inspection should begin with this. The original box must contain a sticker with the size and model of the exact shoe that is inside. The model and color designation is usually encrypted with a special code, which can be checked in a database on the Internet. Be careful: scammers often put fakes in a box of real Louboutins from old collections. In this case, the code will be valid, but it will match a different model;
• insole. It should be embossed: Christian Louboutin and Paris;
• leather. All shoes are made only from natural materials - leather or suede, and therefore have a characteristic smell. A fake can be made of either genuine leather or artificial leather, which can be determined by its smell;
• sole. In addition to color, it should be glossy. Non-original shoes usually have a muted, matte surface. The instep should be stamped Christian Louboutin and “made in Italy” in English. Be sure to emboss, not sticker;
• The box with the shoes should contain bright red cotton dust covers. Their absence or pale color indicates a fake;
• The heel padding should match the leather on the shoes themselves. A hairpin without leather or a different color is not original;
• From the side and front, the shoe should be shallow; in a boat, the toes are usually slightly visible. Christian Louboutin believes that an open shoe looks elegant and sexy;
• price.A pair of Louboutins certainly cannot cost 3 thousand rubles, even on sale. After all, these are premium shoes.

How much do they cost?

Unfortunately, not every fashionista can have a treasured pair in her collection. It's a matter of price. Original Louboutins are not a cheap pleasure, as they are the work of a famous fashion house. Now the price of one pair ranges from 700 to 7 thousand dollars. The average bill for classic pumps is $1000–1500.

The price began to bite especially after the dollar increased: back in 2014, Louboutins could be bought at half the price than in 2018. It is more profitable to buy shoes abroad or on sale.

Celebs who love Louboutins

Many celebrities prefer Louboutins to other brands for their appearances. Among the stars, Victoria Beckham, Megan Fox, Blake Lively, Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, Beyoncé and other fashionistas have been spotted wearing them more than once.

Fashion collection 2018–2019

The new autumn-winter collection of Christian Louboutin revises traditional ideas and adds a variety of materials and decorative elements. Among the models you can find both shoes and boots, sneakers:

1. classic So Kate pumps are presented in sea green satin fabric;
2. the ankle boots are made of black suede - a familiar combination for the designer, but very effective;
3. rhinestones and sequins are another theme of the 2018–2019 collection. Decollete pumps and high-top sneakers are decorated with sparkles, but they look neat and not pretentious. The sneakers can definitely be worn on a daily basis;
4. One of the favorite techniques of recent seasons - transparent inserts - Louboutin improved and created completely transparent shoes in retro style. The toe is finished with ribbed silver studs.In general, an option for a brave fashionista.