“Happiness is the same price as red bottoms,” says the eminent, singer, songwriter and actress, Ariana Grande in her song “7 Rings.” The brand’s signature Christian Louboutin’s “red bottoms” have become a timeless staple in fashion that can be recognized on the streets from miles away.
Very Well Red
Red will always be a color that makes a statement, regardless of where it is placed. So, what better way to have your brand’s shoes stand out than with a firey red sole that would soon turn heads and create a legacy? The Christian Louboutin, an art school drop-out began designing shoes for showgirls at Folies Bergere, a famous musical in Paris. He further spent his time absorbing the cultures of Egypt and India while he was abroad.
Red-y or Not
The history of red bottoms has a simpler beginning than one would expect. By 1991, Louboutin was on the brink of opening his own shoe salon. One day, he noticed his assistant’s nails, painted in a striking red lacquer, which sparked the idea to experiment with that same hue on the soles of his heels.
In the early 90s in France, there were a lot of women wearing black who claimed they did not like to wear color. If you don’t like color, I thought, you might not wear green, but you will probably wear red on your nails, on your lips… That’s why I decided to stick to red!
-Christian Louboutin
Paint the Town Red
It’s no secret that when you see red soles, you know exactly whose shoes you’re looking at. That’s exactly what Mr. Louboutin was going for –– a shoe that belongs to no other. Painting the town red doesn’t stop at the iconic red soles, but can be found on your fingertips as well.
In 2014, the Louboutin brand launched a nail polish collection priced between $50 and $70 per bottle, making it the priciest nail lacquer available. To make sure the polish doesn’t forget where it came from, the cap of the bottle measures to an astounding eight inches, which is totally-accidentally-on purpose, the same length as the heel on the Louboutin Ballerina Ultima shoe!
“The shiny red color of the soles has no function other than to identify to the public that they are mine,” Louboutin says in an interview with Footwear News. “I selected the color because it’s engaging, flirtatious, memorable and the color of passion.”
Is anything more iconic than red bottoms? Let us know your thoughts by tweeting us @VALLEYmag on X!
