Christian Louboutin Biography And Important Works
The iconic red-soled shoes by Christian Louboutin have made it onto almost every red carpet since the French designer opened his first boutique in Paris in 1992. His fantastical heels have gained attention and praise for their provocative heights and arching shapes, leading the designer to be nicknamed the King of Stilettos.
Since childhood, Louboutin was artistic he began sketching shoes at the age of 10 and later studied drawing at the Académie dArt Roederer. However, it was the regular visits to the Musée national des Arts dAfrique et dOcéanie, then in the Palais de la Porte Dorée, that inspired his interest in womens shoes. Growing up in the Paris neighborhood of the museum, he regularly spent weekends there and became fascinated by a sign asking women not to wear heels on account of the antique wooden floors. The severe arch of the heel on the sign and the violent red slash through it inspired him to think about shoes as something that could be dangerous and powerful in their allure. As he has said, I wanted to create something that broke rules and made women feel confident and empowered.
Find vintage Christian Louboutin shoes, sneakers, handbags and other items on 1stDibs.
Christian Louboutin Men’s Shoes
All it takes is a flash of their firey red soles to spot a pair of Christian Louboutin designer shoes. However, the Parisian powerhouse has many more monikers that help your footwear reign supreme above the rest. While the signature high and low-top trainers are sprinkled with silver-toned spikes at the heel tab, its selection of Oxford leather shoes are perfectly polished to reflect the night sky of the City of Lights. Establishing his namesake label back in 1991, the French shoemaker made it his mission to create a statement pair of shoes for every occasion. But, it wasnt until a couple of years after the labels launch that the now-iconic sole was born. Decorating the brands Andy Warhol’s inspired Pensée prototype with his assistants rouge nail varnish, the founder gained his footing in the industry with a simple single stroke. Fast-forward to today, and that vibrant sole is recognised across the globe. Step into our curated menswear collection and discover a style for every rendezvous. Blurring the lines between smart and casual, the houses range of kicks includes the renowned Louis and Happyrui, available in various materials, designs and colours. Or, if youre looking for a style to suit your more formal occasions, then explore our range of Dandelion and Penny loafers that can carry you from the boardroom to the bar.
Christian Louboutin In Popular Culture
Not many brands have success with color the way Christian Louboutin has enjoyed with his red-soled designs, which he’s even tried to protect legally. Sold through boutiques and department stores the world over, often for thousands of dollars, the celebrity draw has proven endless first with Princess Caroline of Monaco, then with Beyonce, Sarah Jessica Parker, Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, Tina Turner, Bella Hadid, Zendaya and Nicki Minaj and the list goes on. In just a few decades, the red sole has grown to signify luxurious footwear design.
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Christian Louboutin Shoes For Men
Christian Louboutin shoes for men can be found in various styles, shapes, and textiles. Louboutin loafers, sneakers, espadrilles, and other styles feature designs and patterns.
What colors do Christian Louboutin men’s footwear come in?
Red and black are the brand’s signature colors, but men’s Louboutin shoes also come in leopard print, silver, white, caramel, navy, and all sorts of other hues depending on the style.
What styles are available in Christian Louboutin shoes for men?
This brand makes Oxfords, derbies, sneakers, ankle boots, boat shoes, and espadrilles. The following are just a few of the Christian Louboutin styles available for men:
- The Roxxxy Navy Man flat is a slip-on shoe in black suede that features white crystals applied all over the face, front, and back of the shoes. The soles have a slight platform and are white.
- The Rantus Flat is a high-top sneaker made of two different kinds of leather. White laces go all the way up the ankle and contrast with the other materials utilized.
- The Dandelion flat is a loafer-style shoe made with leopard print pony hair. Classic notch shapes in the tongue of the shoe lead to a rounded toe.
What materials are used for Christian Louboutin footwear for men?
Leather, suedes, velvets, embroidery, metal accents, canvas, patent leather, rubber, python snakeskin, and fabric laces are all utilized in the construction of Christian Louboutin men’s footwear. Materials will vary depending on the style of shoe.
Finding The Right Shoes For You
Today, vintage and designer shoes by the likes of Chanel, Gucci or Versace are integral to completing your carefully orchestrated street-style or evening ensemble, but footwear wasnt always the big deal it is for your average Adidas Yeezy enthusiast.
The decorative floor-length gowns that upper-class women of the 18th century wore meant that their shoes, then likely featuring high curved heels finished with woven or embroidered silks a sharp contrast to the heavy, rudimentary form of the eras footwear for men were partially or entirely obscured by the base of their ornate dresses. What good is fashion if its tucked away?
Our modern ages legions of sneakerheads might have trouble tracking down a pair of black-and-gold vintage Jordans but can at least fill their dream closets with original Adidas Gazelles or 1980s New Balances if they put the time in, while 1990s-era Prada pumps or a good pair of mid-20th-century jewel-tone heels in satin or silk havent lost their allure with todays nostalgic fashionistas.
A pair of shoes can commemorate an achievement, mark an important trip overseas and is sometimes a rich manifestation of a hard-won physical feat. Whether theyre Hermès sandals, Off-White ankle boots, ivory-leather-and-pink-daisy heels by sublime shoemakerManolo Blahnik or Louboutin platform pumps, you can find your next pair of legendary luxury vintage shoes today on 1stDibs.
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I was totally drunk, dressed half as a man and half as a woman. I caught my dress in a door, rolled down the stairs and landed right at the feet of Yves Saint Laurent, he confessed to FN of a night at the legendary boîte. There he was, wearing black tie, sitting quietly with his drink, but he told me, Dont worry, this is a party. I felt so relieved because if you can literally fall at the feet of Mr. Saint Laurent at the Palace and its fine, that proves its OK to party.
While her $6,000 never-worn Louboutins were a pricey purchase, Spears has plenty of affordable shoe styles in her wardrobe. The Toxic singer has been spotted in recent months clad in footwear by Steve Madden, Adidas and Birkenstock.
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Swift accessorized with Lorraine Schwartz jewelry. For glam, she wore crystal appliques in silver and lavender hues across her browbone, inner-eye accents and red lipstick.
Swifts appearance at the show marks the first time she attended since 2019, when she was the opening performer and received awards for Video of the Year for her song You Need to Calm Down from her seventh-studio album Lover, released that year.
On the red carpet and while accepting her awards, she was styled in a colorful, rhinestone-embellished oversized blazer with a statement pink top and thigh-high rhinestone black boots.
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A History Of Christian Louboutin: Stilettos To Sneakers
The red-soled women’s designer shoes come as a staple of Christian Louboutin. Louboutin’s creations have graced red carpets to music videos, giving a signature style to often flamboyant women’s footwear fashion. But Louboutin has gone well beyond women’s styles, adding plenty of sneaker choices in recent years.
Christian Louboutin, a French-born designer, wasn’t much for school as a youngster, but he was sketching shoe designs from an early age. He says his fascination with shoes started when he saw a museum sign not permitting high heel shoes. The concept of high heels was new to him, and soon he was filling sketchbooks with his own take on the concept.
When his schooling ended at age 16, Louboutin landed work at a cabaret in Paris. It was there he was first able to cobble together some of his footwear designs for the intrigued dancers. His love of footwear grew, and he was working with Charles Jourdan by the 1980s before starting his own Paris-based business in the early 1990s, using Italian craftsmanship to create his designs.
The red-soled shoes started as a seasonal twist, first in 1993. But fans of the young brand clamored for more it certainly didn’t hurt that Princess Caroline of Monaco was an early fan of Louboutin offerings and soon, the red soles were a staple of all Christian Louboutin handiwork.
Louboutin then branched out beyond women’s shoes, adding handbags, fragrances and accessories, and his first collection of men’s shoes launched in the 2010s.
Christian Louboutin Sneakers: Collectibility And Value
With retail price tags running from $795 to $1,295 or more, the resale market can push values even higher for some of the most popular styles. Take a pair of Spike-Sock shoes in his popular Black-Red design originally retailing at $1,295, it’s now valued at or above its list price. Two of the most popular models on the resale market are the Louis Flat and Louis Orlato Flat, a high-top. Expect these shoes to fetch around $1,400 on eBay in some of the most popular colorways.
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Christian Louboutin’s Most Popular Styles
While Christian Louboutin may be best known for the stiletto he was a fan of Roger Vivier that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a mixture of sneaker styles to offer menswear a fresh perspective continually.
- The Red Runner from Christian Louboutin brings the designer’s famed red sole to sneakers. A $1,195 athletic low-top inspired by retro basketball shoes of the 1980s, the shoe features calfskin leather on the toe and back counters and a mix of materials on the sides and top, such as velour. Add in a signature red sole, and the design takes Louboutin signatures to sneakers.
- The Louis Flat stands as one of the key models in the Christian Louboutin collection. Expect to find a white rubber sole with a calfskin suede upper in varying colors and patterns. A mix of patent calfskin leather, a grosgrain finish and embroidery bring this high-top a range of designs.
- The Spike-Sock borrows design lines from 1960s skate shoes but uses a single piece of leather to showcase the clean lines. Adding spikes on the upper, a key signature of many of the Louboutin sneakers, gives the Spike-Sock something singular.
Key Christian Louboutin Collaborations
Christian Louboutin has worked with many of the major names in luxury fashion, from Alexander McQueen to Roland Mouret and Chanel to Yves Saint Laurent. For his sneakers, expect to find Christian Louboutin designing on his own along with the spikes he often adds to the designs instead of moving toward collaborations.
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