Christian Louboutin

Christian Louboutin

Christian Louboutin opened his first Paris boutique in November 1991, in a small arcade near the Louvre, after years spent designing shoes for Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent and a detour into landscape gardening. The whole enterprise turns on one stubborn idea, a lacquered red sole that turns the underside of a shoe into the signature, so a heel is recognizable from across a room before anyone sees the front of it.

Collage of shoes styled with city, runway and evening outfits that capture the Christian Louboutin mood

Twenty classics to start with

Every house has a handful of shoes you could name from across a room, and with Christian Louboutin you can name them from the side. CNN marked thirty years of the red sole in 2023, and the origin story has not changed: in 1993 a prototype inspired by Andy Warhol's Flowers came back looking flat, his assistant was painting her nails, and he borrowed the red polish for the sole. That accident is now the most recognised underside in fashion.

 

The pumps come first because they are the backbone of the house. The So Kate 120 is named for Kate Moss, who told British Vogue he made her a sharper toe and a thinner heel, and the Kate 100 is the version I would actually walk in, here in black and in pink. La Pigalle takes its name from the Paris neighbourhood, and it comes here in plain patent and in crystal. The Iriza 85 opens up the side of the foot, the Hot Chick 100 and Miss Z are the cleanest points, and the Follies Strass and Degraqueen are for nights when the shoe is the jewellery.

 

Then the rest of the canon: the So Kate Booty, the Loubi Queen Alta platform, the Mamadrague and Sweet Jane flats, the Hot Chick slingback flats, and the spiked Louise Junior and Fun Louise sneakers. The Paloma clutch and Cabata tote carry the spikes onto bags, and Rouge Louboutin 001 is the red sole turned into a lipstick.

 

My test is ten minutes standing on a hard floor before deciding. What I would skip: the 120 if you have to cross a city on foot. Take the 100 instead.

People wearing Christian Louboutin red-soled shoes

Pumps

Louboutin learned from Roger Vivier at Charles Jourdan, and you can see the training in a plain pump more than anywhere else: the line from toe to heel is the whole design. This is the biggest group in the edit, and it runs from a 55mm Cassia to a 160mm Maria in satin.

 

For every day, the Kate 85 in veau velours, the Miss Z 60 in patent and the Miss Sab 55 are the ones I would walk in. The Fannylove 85 comes in nude and in black, with a 100 in patent, La Pigalle 100 is the sharp classic, and the Giddylina has a buckle across the vamp. The Lady Z peep toe is the softer evening pump.

 

Then the fun ones. The Cassia pumps tie at the ankle, in crêpe satin, grey flannel and a version with a knitted leg warmer. The Alana and Zanzee pumps have big puffs of fur over the toe, and the red Mix Kate 100 is scattered with crystals. Miss Z also comes in mesh, metallic and velvet-effect leather.

 

Tip: buy a pump in the afternoon, when your feet are at their largest. What I would skip: a 120 for a wedding where you will stand all night.

Slingbacks

A slingback is a pump with the back taken away, and it is the easiest way to wear a Louboutin point all day, because nothing rubs at the heel.

 

The Condora comes in black patent and in brown croc effect, the Condoroline drops it to 55mm, and the So Jane 55 in black suede is the one I would wear to work. The Sofia Z 60 and Lady Fanny 20 are the lowest, and the Slingyzip 100 has a zip at the back. For evening, there is a beige lace slingback, a silver Cassia 100 that ties at the ankle, the Miss Z at 100 and the Cordelia and Cordelina in floral jacquard.

 

Tip: check that the strap sits just above the heel bone, not on it. What I would skip: a slingback half a size too big, because the strap will slip all day.

Heeled sandals

Louboutin's first job, at 17, was in the dressing rooms of the Folies Bergère, and he told TIME that watching the showgirls on the stairs taught him that shoes are all about posture and proportion. A strappy heeled sandal is the closest thing in this edit to that world.

 

The Miss Z sandal is the backbone, in 80, 100 and 120, in leather, peony crêpe, a Flora version, a slingback and one with a satin ankle wrap, plus the Infradita thong and a tie dye patent. The Miss Jane 85 and Jane 85 are the block heels I would actually dance in, and the Janetonga, Viva Condora and Miss Sabina are the low ones at 55mm.

 

For going out, the Emilie and Arch Queen are embellished suede, the Meryl 80 is covered in crystals, the Rosa Fruit and Rosalie are in satin, and the Patapompom and Patchoulina have fur at the toe. The Cora comes in floral jacquard and in plain leather, and the Calakala, Charja and Athinita are the daytime ones.

 

Tip: a thin ankle strap looks best with a bare leg and a hem that stops above it. What I would skip: a 120 sandal for an outdoor party on grass.

Platforms

Platforms are where the showgirl idea is most literal. The Alta versions add a lift under the toe, so a 150 or 160mm heel feels closer to a 120 when you stand in it.

 

The Loubi Queen Alta 150 in metallic leather, the Alta 160 in veau velours and the Dolly Alta 160 pump are the tallest. The Sandaloo 130 comes in leather, metallic and beige suede, the Miss Zigourata comes in brown mirrored leather and black patent, and the pink Marianne 160 has a puff of feathers at the toe. For summer, the Toledissima and Mariza Du Desert are woven, and the Calakala 85 is the low platform.

 

Tip: on a platform, take shorter steps and let the shoe do the height. What I would skip: a long, flowing hem that catches the toe.

Mules

Just Nothing is a good name for a shoe that is a heel, a sole and a single clear strap. Mules are the easiest Louboutins to put on, and they are the ones I reach for on a hot night.

 

The Just Nothing comes at 55 and 85mm and as a pink platform, with the Just Loubi and Just Arch as its siblings in PVC. The Me Dolly 100 comes in pink leather, black patent and green, plus a laminated pink pair. The Miss Z mule comes in metallic leather, a printed toile and a 100 version, the Amali 130 is a patent platform, and the Mulazee and Affabula are in taffeta. The red Km Fur 85 has fur across the toe, and the Milena 60, Her In Roma 55 and the flat Chambelimule are the walkable ones.

 

Tip: a mule should hold your foot at the toe strap without gripping, so try it walking, not standing. What I would skip: a high mule on stairs you do not know.

Wedges and espadrilles

Espadrilles go back centuries in Catalonia and the Basque Country, where farmers and labourers wore them with rope soles. Louboutin's versions keep the jute and add the red sole, which is a funny and very good idea.

 

The Cassiadrilla 100 is an espadrille pump that ties up the ankle, here in black linen and in ivory, and the Toleda wedge comes in crochet and in black. The Pyra Clou 60 is the lower espadrille, and the Calakala comes as a pink suede sandal and a black platform mule on a jute heel. For sleek wedges, the Zeezeenella 100, Zeppa Chick 85, Ariella 130 and Me Dolly 85 are in patent or leather, and the Solo Zee 100 is in clear TPU.

 

Tip: a wedge spreads your weight, so it is the heel to pick for a garden or a boat. What I would skip: jute soles in the rain.

Flats

A Louboutin flat is the sneaky way to wear the red sole every day, and it shows more than you would think, because people see it with every step.

 

The Sweetie Jane comes in velvet, mesh and blue suede, the Cassiasticina in patent and in leather, and the Cassia lace-up ties at the ankle like a ballet shoe. The Mamadrague has spikes, the Erozeena is in patent, the Promessina is croc effect, and there is a leopard calf hair ballet flat and a black Cassia Nodo with a knot. For summer, the MJ Thong, Pyra Du Desert, Sweet Janetonga and rubber Super Loubi flip are the flat sandals, and the Miss Z flat pump is covered in embellished mesh.

 

Tip: a pointed flat lengthens the leg, while a round toe looks softer. What I would skip: a flat with a smooth sole for city stairs in the rain.

Loafers and sneakers

These are the pairs for days with a lot of walking, and the red sole still shows up underneath every one of them.

 

The Plato comes in black and white and in brown, the Mocallista has gold hardware, and the Penny Donna in black patent has a flash of red. There is a burgundy croc-effect Penny, the black Rochelle with tassels and the Mattia Spikes with studs. The Chambeliboat comes in shearling and in pink suede, and the Chanme Donna is a loafer mule. For sneakers, the Tutti Rui is metallic and the white Loubishark has the shark-tooth sole.

 

Tip: leather loafers stretch, so buy them snug. What I would skip: white sneakers if you have no plan to clean them.

Boots

Louboutin boots carry the same points and heel shapes as the pumps, just with more leather. This grid covers ankle boots, knee boots and a few lug soles.

 

For ankle boots, the So Kate 85 in croc-effect patent and the So Apostropha 80 are the sharpest, the Loo 130 and New Macademia are the tallest, and the Pavlova is in crêpe satin. The Ira 55, Turela, Vibella 85 and Adoxa 70 are the easy ones, the Miss Z comes in leopard pony hair, and the Astrilarge is black and white. The Promidavol and Marchacroche are Chelsea boots, and the Dianouchette comes as a lug-sole bootie and a buckled suede ankle boot.

 

For knee boots, the Fannylove comes in suede and at 120, the Iranina 85 and Miss Z 80 are the sleek ones, and the Dianouchette lug and Botta 70 have a buckle at the ankle. The red Janitta 55 is the fun one, the Marinetta has studs around the sole, the Zependris and Jennna are tall and sharp, the Bootytiag is a metallic western boot, and the red Max in Pants is half boot, half trouser.

 

Tip: try boots on with the socks or tights you will wear them with. What I would skip: a knee boot that gaps at the back of the calf.

People wearing Christian Louboutin bags and red-soled shoes

Bags and small leather goods

Handbags came later than the shoes, part of the expansion that eventually added fragrance and makeup to the label as well. They borrow the same instinct for a hard, finished silhouette and a bit of hardware as a signature, structured pieces that read as an extension of the footwear logic rather than a separate design language. The Bettina clutches are the ones I would look at first, and the Venus and Eva shoulder bags and the Bettina tote carry the same finish into something you can use every day.

 

The Panettone compact wallet and the Bettina belt sit here too, because they carry the same hardware in a smaller form.

Why the trick still works

The red sole is either the smartest piece of branding in modern shoe design or a decades-long bit, and honestly it can be both. What keeps this house interesting is that it never pretended the trick was more than a trick: it just kept making the trick very, very well, boutique after boutique, since 1991. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Louboutin Heels.