For this installment of Amber’s All About Fashion, I’ll be discussing everything Chrisitan Louboutin Paris. Louboutin’s (pronounced Loo-boo-tan) shoes have been worn by tons of celebrities on the red carpet lately. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like I’ve been noticing the red soles more than ever before. 

A quick clarification: Louis Vuitton and Chrisitan Louboutin are not the same brands. It’s a very common misconception, but they’re not. Louboutin shoes are consistently higher priced than other luxury shoe brands. Chanel, Christian Dior, and Gucci can be expensive, but Louboutin always seems to trump their hefty price tags. 

Louboutin’s designs are consistently eccentric and over the top. He even designed some to never be worn (i.e. Hot Chick 130 mm) and only as a collector piece. Louboutin creates heels, flats, sneakers, and leather goods. You can purchase his shoes through his website: http://us.christianlouboutin.com/us_en/ or through various resale websites/shops. 

Obviously I definitely support and think you should buy a used pair of his shoes. I have owned four pairs, all purchased gently used through resale shops or websites. I currently have two in my collection (a pair of Black Patent Simple Pumps 100mm, and the Crapadonna Brogues), but I am trying to sell both. 

Christian Louboutin heels are incredibly uncomfortable (which is why I’m trying to sell mine). They’re gorgeous shoes and are pretty to look at, but I couldn’t wear my pumps for more than twenty minutes without sitting down. My feet were numb, it was ridiculous. I am able to wear the Simple Pumps if I can sit down every few minutes and take the pressure off of my feet. They’re pretty for a few pictures on a cruise ship, but not at all practical for wearing for a long amount of time. 

His flats are a different story. They’re much more comfortable and practical for all-day wear. I wore a pair of gold sparkly flats to a birthday party where I was standing for most of the occasion, and they lasted me through the whole ordeal. I love that his Crapadonna loafers have a red rubber sole, not a leather one, which makes them last much longer. The main reason I’m trying to sell the Crapadonna loafers is that they’re a size bigger than the size they should’ve fit like. I’m a 9 and they ended up fitting like a 9.5. 

Now if I haven’t scared you off with the talk of their discomfort, then keep on reading for tips on sizing. I have a very weird shoe size situation. My size in flats is a 39 (US 9), but for heels, it’s a 38.5 (US 8.5) in all shoes designed by European designers because the feet they’re designing for are slightly narrower than American feet. I have a very strong opinion on sizing for Louboutins: buy your true size. Don’t size up unless you have very wide feet. For my first pair, I sized up and when the shoes arrived, they were way too big. Once I found and reordered my true size of 38.5 from Poshmark, the shoes fit perfectly. 

Christian Louboutin is a tricky designer to buy from, so I hope I helped clarify some issues with his shoes. Always remember that his shoes and leather goods always resell for at least half of what they were originally bought for. Stay tuned for the next installment of Amber’s All About Fashion.