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louboutin interview/thoughts

gradfashionista

(website)

Veteran

did anybody catch the bbc interview today/early this morning (uk) on bbc world with christian louboutin? loved the line when rebecca jones asked him whether he would wear 5" heels and he said something to the effect of "no, but men have to do uncomfortable things, too. wearing a tie, for example, is not comfortable." he was in earnest.

um, yeah. no comment.

anybody own louboutins? and is there a difference in terms of comfort compared to cole haans, fluevogs, etc.?

General

24 replies

Latest reply was from ironkurtin

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I can only imagine how they would make my wallet uncomfortable.

gradfashionista

(website)

Veteran

yeah, and when the signature sole enamel is ruined, they become ordinary shoes, unless you buy the $4.95 red rubber sole substitute i saw on ebay.

another interesting quote:

'Comfy, that's one of the WORST words! I just picture a woman feeling bad, with a big bottle of alcohol, really puffy. It's really depressing, but she likes her life because she has comfortable clogs.'

and

'The core of my work is dedicated not to pleasing women, but to pleasing men,' he explained.
'Men are like bulls. They cannot resist the red sole.'

and

'When a woman buys a pair of shoes, she never looks at the shoe. She stands up and looks in the mirror, she looks at the breast, the ass, from the front, from the side, blah blah blah.
'If she likes herself, then she considers the shoe.'

so that's why they have full length mirrors in shoe stores...!
never managed to make above my ankle and lacking a full-length mirror only reinforces my podiocentrism.
clearly haven't yet spent enough time spent on ylf.

christieanne

Veteran

I think he is wrong about women not paying to the actual shoe - we love the way a shoe looks and sometimes how it makes us look (could be me but I am more about the shoe than how my boobs look when wearing the shoe!).

And my DH wouldn't care if the bottom of my shoe was covered in diamond dust (and might as well be for the price of CL). Christian is all about his brand image obviously but should get to know his client base a bit better.

Anonymous

My fiancee wanted me to have a pair of the devilish shoes so I went about buying - and returning - pair after pair. I ended up choosing another brand instead.
Mr. Louboutin is a bit of a snob, I see.

Amy

(website)

Veteran

Uh, wow. All that really turns me off. I'd rather be a manrepeller.

My love of shoes is multifold. I like them when they're comfortable and practical for an activity. I also like them as pieces of art...kind of like sculpture. There are many I wouldn't wear, but I still admire them. I like shoes that reflect my personality in some way. I can see how some shoes might be considered sexy, but that has never been my primary reason for adding a pair to my collection.

Really, all you need to be sexy is the right attitude, not clothes, shoes or fancy sports cars

Kari

Veteran

Amy, you took the words out of my mouth.

But honestly, I really am not turned on by the idea of owning an elite/high end designer item just because it's a status symbol - I had the same reaction in my comments to Goldenpig's thread about the Birkin bag. I'm not going to sneer at people who DO like those items and want them in their wardrobe - it's just not my personal cup of tea.

Deborah

Veteran

Wow, his comments are a little off putting and makes me wonder if he really knows his clientele?

Louboutin shoes are completely out of my price range, but I have to say that reading these comments I am not sure I would want to support a person with such a view point?!?

bj1111

Veteran

more comfortable than manolos. less comfy than cole haan. must pick carefully...a high percentage of cl shoes are tramp-tastic.

ManidipaM

Veteran

EXACTLY as Deborah said: "I have to say that reading these comments I am not sure I would want to support a person with such a view point?!?" --- Except I think I'm pretty darn sure I don't and won't! Ugh!

jayne

Veteran

I don't know about CL but a friend loaned me a pair of Mahlano Blaniks (sp?) and they were not even very high, but absolutely the worst painful pair of shoes I have ever tried. I could not even manage to walk from bedroom to living room in them so I chose a comfy pair. I know that I prance when wearing painful shoes and that does not look sexy to anyone!

Meghan R

Good to know, BJ1111 -- I really like my Cole Haans. And yes, I agree with everyone here who feels turned off by M. Louboutin's comments. Although I *do* think that a great pair of shoes will make you overall look better -- if I love my shoes, I stand up straighter and walk with more of a confident strut.

bella

(website)

Veteran

I think what he says about liking myself in the shoe holds true for me. It is not that I never look at the shoes, but I clearly like the shoe better if I like myself wearing the shoe.

Sara L.

Veteran

Interesting conversation! I love shoes (I didn't get a chance to comment on the post about # of shoes but I must have at least 70 or 80) but I like them to be comfortable, interesting and affordable. There are some shoes that I only wear to dinner and a movie because I know I won't be on my feet but that usually has to do with heel height. I can wear a fairly high heel for short periods of time before the shoe becomes uncomfortable. I won't buy a pair that is outright painful and I'm always conscious of the purpose of the shoe, i.e if I'm looking for something to wear to work, I won't buy a super high heel.

Mr. Louboutin has an interesting viewpoint but not one supported by anyone that I know (I admit I don't know anyone who owns a pair of Louboutin's though so we're not exactly running in the same circles).

MsMary

Veteran

I don't run in Louboutin circles, either, but I refuse to wear shoes that are painful.

And BTW here's my favorite recent CL quote, re: his lawsuit for trademark infringement about the famous red soles: "I don't own a color. I own a specific color in a specific place."

Jonesy

Veteran

From the thread title, I thought this was going to be a post about you taking opinions on whether or not you should purchase a pair of Louboutins for interviewing purposes :).

I have read similar stuff about/from him before. Neither he nor his shoes impress me--shoes like that just aren't my thing, and he sounds impossible.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

*eyes rolling*

Laurinda

Veteran

Brilliant idea from a high-schooler -- stick-on red soles... http://rossosolinishop.yokaboo.com/

( I should put these on my clogs ! )

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goldenpig

(website)

Veteran

I might be interested in Louboutins if they weren't 5 inch heels and weren't $1000 a pair. If they were 2 inch and $200, maybe. Or maybe if they did a Christian Louboutin for Target pair I have to admit his attitude is a real turnoff though! I do like red though. Laurinda, I like the red polka dot soles!

bj1111

Veteran

i can see nicoleb diying a bling tastic sole.

rachylou

Veteran

Yes, I recall Louboutin being rather obnoxious when he opens his mouth. My hair stylist's daughter has a lot of his shoes, but I don't. They don't fit in with my lifestyle. I've a pair of Manolo's that I pretty much never wear, why bother with another such pair?

gradfashionista

(website)

Veteran

interesting replies! i'm glad to see that i wasn't the only one who was turned off by some of his remarks. the interview on bbc was somewhat interesting, but then i unearthed some of his other comments and thought, ugh!

@jonesy: might've started off that way, but the more i read about him, the more i got turned off by his opinions!

i actually was curious about whether there was a distinct comfort difference (cupped heel, better arch support, padding, durability, etc.) in the more expensive shoes or whether you were paying more for the aesthetics and materials.

i've read some bloggers who say that there is a world of difference between CLs, manolos and choos and more moderately-priced heels.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

I don't think what he's said is any worse than some of the bon mots Karl Lagerfeld has thrown out. Some very talented people in fashion are completely insufferable.
I don't have a pair of CL's, never even tried them on. But I do find my more expensive shoes comfortable, eg Marni.

gradfashionista

(website)

Veteran

@bj1111 -- they were selling vibram red soles on ebay, too!

imagine, louboutin toe shoes!

ironkurtin

Veteran

I really am laughing... fashion is SO silly! Angie's response is perfect.

There's a market for CL, and he knows exactly what it is, and it isn't anyone who wants a comfortable shoe. It's someone who wants what CLs have been carefully branded to say about sexiness.

They can have them, and welcome to them.