What are the best ways to tell fake Christian Louboutin shoes from genuine ones? Our guide outlines the top clues to avoid being fooled by counterfeits.
Find more Fake Check guides, tips and advice
He is one of the most famous shoe designers in the world and creates pure luxury for women with his models: Christian Louboutin. He is the darling of some of the most stylish women in the world and also very popular with stars. His most famous fans include Princess Caroline of Monaco, Hollywood stars like Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek and many more.
Among other things, Carrie Bradshaw from the series Sex and the City made his name even more popular. If you ask women what is so special about Louboutin shoes, many say that the masterpieces of the extraordinary designer make them feel a little more elegant on every occasion. If you wear a pair of Louboutins yourself, you will feel like a different person and you will feel really high.
The trademark, the red sole, came about by chance: while translating a sketch into reality, Chrisitan Louboutin noticed when looking at the prototype that he didn’t like the actual shoe because of the dominant black sole. Without further ado, he borrowed the red nail polish from one of his employees and used it to paint the sole of the shoe.
His works quickly spread to shoe cabinets around the world and the label became internationally known. In the meantime, more than 600,000 pairs of dream shoes are sold every year. Every woman’s dream – the infamous shoes with lipstick-red soles. Unfortunately, this unmistakable trademark is often forged.
Best ways to tell fake Christian Louboutin shoes
It is claimed that there are fakes so well-made that even experts find it difficult to tell them apart from real Louboutin shoes. As tricky as it may be at times, there are a few features in addition to price to look out for when buying shoes. So you can be sure of the authenticity of the Louboutins and you are guaranteed not to fall for a copy of the luxury shoes!
THE SHOEBOX
It starts before you even hold the shoes in your hands: with the shoebox. Of course, every box is provided with a Louboutin lettering: It should be noted that the label on original Louboutins should only be found on the short side of the lid, and this is one of the best ways to tell fake Christian Louboutin shoes from genuine ones. Furthermore, the box is adorned with horizontal stripes on the wide cardboard sides and vertical stripes on the short sides, which end with the pattern on the lid.
The label should show the Louboutin logo on a black background and the shoe size in EU size. In addition, the name of the particular model and the color of the pair of shoes are listed. But now the luxury shoes should finally be unpacked: To protect them, they are delivered in an extra dust bag.
THE DUST BAG
You can even use accessories such as the dust bag to reveal fakes of Louboutin shoes. Both the label’s logo and the word “Paris” can be found on the lower right of the real bag. It is important to ensure that the cut of the dust bag is straight and carefully sewn from the inside. The material should appear firm and stiff, by no means thin and web-like. In addition, even the ribbon of the dust bag consists of a high-quality cord.
Each pair of shoes comes with spare heels in a small red bag – and not in a simple plastic bag as with counterfeit Louboutin models. You shouldn’t be fooled by certificates of authenticity made of plastic, because these definitely speak for a fake: These are not available with originals, and and this is one of the top ways to tell fake Christian Louboutin shoes from genuine ones.
Finally we come to what it’s all about: the Christian Louboutin shoes themselves! First you should take a look at the distinctive identification mark, the red Louboutin sole.
THE SOLE
The unmistakable red sole of the luxury shoes is the absolute specialty of the brand and therefore famous all over the world. It is not enough to simply give an ordinary heel shoe a red sole: it is a specific, glossy, shiny shade. It is characterized above all by a strong red, which corresponds to the color shade Pantone 18-1663 TPX for Original Louboutins. With some models it can also be an orange-red.
In addition, falsified variants can also be identified by the size mark: This must be given in EU sizes, half numbers are actually given as ½ and not as a decimal point. The stamping of Louboutin shoes also has features that speak for authenticity: It must not appear superficial or rough-edged. It must be easy to read on the soles “Made in Italy” and not “MADEINITALY”. With earlier models, the stamp “Vero Cuoio” was also common. On closer inspection of the outsole, Original Louboutins must not have any corrugation directly on the leather, it must be a completely smooth surface.
THE INSIDE OF THE SHOE
Even inside the shoe, fake Louboutin pairs differ from the originals: The word “Paris” must not be printed too thick under the Louboutin logo or directly under the brand print, but should be found a little further down. In addition, it should be ensured that the individual letters do not overlap and are always the same distance from one another. Furthermore, only the P may be capitalized in “Paris”, not the whole word, and this is one of the top ways to tell fake Christian Louboutin shoes from genuine ones, as it is a mistake counterfeiters often make.
THE PRODUCTION QUALITY
The high demands of the Louboutin label cannot be dismissed out of hand: Great emphasis is placed on quality, which means that Louboutin shoes are high-quality, hand-made branded goods. This means that the perfect workmanship is an important indicator of the authenticity of Louboutin shoes.
The leather sole should therefore have sealed edges. It is also important that all lines and seams are straight, accurate and evenly spaced. It is important to ensure a symmetrical cut of the shoes, they must also not have a strong chemical odor. Christian Louboutin is best known for his use of unmistakably delicate materials, so there should never be any suspicion of artificial leather.
THE DESIGN
The shoe designer attaches importance to the fact that his own creativity is in the foreground in his creations. The combination of current trends and elements from the Renaissance makes his shoes look like works of art. Louboutin shoes are as elegant as they are eye-catching.
A classic Louboutin has a heel height of 10 to 12 centimeters. In the meantime, however, due to the great demand, there are also collections with flat shoes or even shoes for men. Christian Louboutin creates shoes with a noble and perfectly shaped design – it’s not for nothing that his works get so much attention. On women they look elegant and sexy at the same time, the heel in particular comes into its own thanks to the color of the sole.
There are so many different models of legendary shoes, so that the decision to buy a pair can be quite difficult. You are spoiled for choice, for example, between different heel heights and normal or extremely thin heel thicknesses. Those who like things a bit simpler choose classic leather pumps. If you want a more eye-catching model, you are well served with Louboutin shoes with a patent leather look.
Whether in elegant black or versatile nude – the heels can be combined with dresses, skirts, trousers or jeans. The more conspicuous the chosen shoe, the more inconspicuous the rest of the outfit should be. If you want a more eye-catching model, you are well served with Louboutin shoes with a patent leather look.
THE PRICE
Of course, the quality of the Chrisitan Louboutin shoes also has its price. So if you actually decide to buy a pair of luxury shoes, you should save at least 500 euros for the high-heeled creations of the designer. The more unusual the model, the sales and the decorations, the higher the price, of course. You can even discover pairs of shoes with prices in the four-digit range. In general, however, it can be said that the purchase of the Louboutin originals is definitely worthwhile: the feeling of wearing the heels with the knowledge that they are real Louboutins is completely different.
In addition, a high-quality leather shoe with a leather sole can never be compared with a plastic shoe. Straight, if you want to wear the shoes for a longer period of time, you can feel a huge difference in comfort. However, if you don’t necessarily want to pay the rather high price for Louboutin shoes, there are of course cheaper alternatives in the form of second hand offers.
So you can avoid the sometimes heavy price tags and still be the happy owner of one (or several?) Louboutin pair of shoes. These are often available in an absolutely new condition from $130 – and with this fake check there is no longer any risk of falling for fake Louboutins!
BUYING SHOES
Each model by the French designer is only available in a limited number on the market. In this way the uniqueness of the individual models is preserved and they remain something very special. Louboutins are therefore only available in selected boutiques and shops. The label ensures that the shoes do not become mass-produced. It is therefore advisable to only buy Louboutin shoes from authorized retailers. If there is any uncertainty, you can take a look at a list of authorized shops that can be found on the designer’s homepage.
The second option for purchasing luxury shoes is of course on the Internet. Of course, particular care must be taken to ensure that they are originals – no problem with this fake check! In itself, it must be noted that due to the high demand for the heels, it usually does not go so far that they end up in the sale or outlet. For this reason, you should ask yourself about the authenticity of Louboutin shoes, especially in the case of heavily discounted items.