Friday, April 17, 2015 at 11:31AM LOUBOUTINS SUCK | Your Under-$150 Spring Shoe Guide
via Bionda Castana
I picked up my first (and only) pair of Louboutins on a whim. I'd been invited to meet the celebrity shoe designer when he was in Toronto for a Christian Louboutin Exhibition at the Design Exchange. For a fashion blogger, this was a major coup. I rifled through my entire shoe collection at home, freaking out because none of my shoes felt worthy of my shoe idol. And then I remembered a $300 gift card I'd been saving. This was happening.
I left an hour early for Toronto and headed straight for one of my favourite places in the world - the designer shoe department at Holt Renfrew. Surrounded by ladies who lunch and all those gorgeous shoes, I couldn't help myself. I landed on a pair of stunning black and gold spikey-toe pumps and asked to see them in size 9. 'Well, Louboutin only goes up to 39, which is more like an 8, but they will be fine.' They weren't. I knew it. But I figured I'd work them in. Shoes this expensive must mold to your feet, non? Minutes later I'd blown $800 and was walking onto Bloor St. feeling like a boss.
Nobody wants to admit it. In fact, in certain circles, saying so would be sacrilege. But if you've ever owned a pair of Louboutins, I'm sure you'll agree - they're uncomfortable. No, wait, that's being nice. They're torture chambers. I've talked to dozens of other Louboutin victims who secretly agree. They might look pretty and you might get some small satisfaction from prancing around the room in your red soles, but after about 6 minutes, the pain sets in. The searing, burning, want-to-rip-your-feet-off pain that makes you leave the party early and never want to wear heels again. And I'm the kind of person who lives in heels. Unless you have abnormally tiny toes, there just isn't enough room at the inn. So, not only does the sky-high pin-sized heel make you feel like you're a giant baby tottering around in your mom's heels, but your feet are simultaneously being suffocated which turns your feet as red as that iconic sole. And then there are the long-lasting effects. No matter how much they hurt, you continue to wear them anyway because of the mountains of guilt - after all, you dropped a whole mortgage payment on them. Okay, let me just come right out and say it - Louboutins suck.
I love heels. I adore the Holts shoe department and am still willing to spend the occasional paycheque on the perfect designer shoe (Choo > Louboutin all the way). But clearly, I will never buy Louboutins again. And if you suffer shoe envy every time you see those painted red soles - believe me, you are not missing out.
Now, I get most of my shoe kicks for under-$150 - a great pointy-toe flat at ALDO, a made-in-Brazil beauty at Le Château, or a pair of sporty white tennis kicks from Sportchek or Soft Moc let me stay on trend without destroying my feet or my spring shopping budget.
Want to step up your shoe game this spring? Check out our guilt-free spring shoe guide, with the coolest little flats and prettiest printed heels for under $150, not a single red sole in sight. Phew. Happy Friday!
SEE OUR SPRING SHOE GUIDE HERE...
Reader Comments (2)
You have it so right! My gf wears Choo, but convinced herself she needed Louboutin's. We went to Neiman Marcus and she tried on a very cool pair priced at $1400. I instantly saw how shoddy the construction was: Her feet were being forced into a shape no normal human foot has. She tried to walk around the shoe area for a few minutes and told me it was so painful she couldn't believe it. This designer is a con man of the highest order! His shoes do suck! If you have a brain, you'll avoid these things!
Great article.
I have over the past year been trying all different brand shoes from Rene cavovilla, Prada, dolce and gabbana, the list goes on the only pair I had yet to try were those red bottom shoes. My boyfriend didn't like them he said they were clunky and did nothing special for the price except everyone knew what brand they were. So for my birthday I convinced him to buy me a pair these shoes are the worst shoes ever. They never strength the leather is CHEAP I don't buy into their marketing about it fitting girls foot perfectly and only hers. ...I spent over $1000 for shoes I will only wear once they are classic black but within 5 minutes of wearing them they hurt your feet and I am a dancer. Shoes that are well made do not hurt your feet.