Did you know that the first Red bottoms were created for men?
Yes, that’s right, Christian Louboutin who created our modern understanding of the red bottomed shoe for women was actually reimagining a trend that began in the French Court as long ago as 1673.
The Louis heel, as it was initially called, was a short red heel that could be attached to the most intricately embroidered shoes as a sign of status and favor with the king and mainly worn by men.
Men wore heels for centuries before this. The ancient Egyptians depicted their kings and queens in shoes with heels and the Greeks formulated a type of wedge heel that would keep their feet away from the mud and trash of the streets. The heel then has always been a sign of status and wealth.
The red heel took this symbolism to the next level. King Louis XIV used it as a way to keep his court in order. It was a time just before the French Revolution and the royal family needed to solidify their power. King Louis did so in the most visual way. No one in the court was to wear a heels higher than his, which were worn at 5 inches, and only those who had immense royal favor could wear red heels. This visual indication kept the court on their toes as the removal of a louis heel was a very noticeable shame.
In some ways, the tactic worked until, of course the French Revolution where red took on a different meaning for the masses (flowing aristocrat blood.) The red heels were a symbol of the very institution that had caused the need for a revolution. The revolution brought with it what fashion historians call “The Masculine Renunciation”.
The Masculine Renunciation was a movement in fashion where men began to see themselves more for their use over their beauty. They were renouncing the aristocratic values of vanity and distinctions between the classes. Men’s fashion became largely use oriented and little has changed since.
The resurgence of the red bottomed heel in the modern world can only be accredited to Christian Louboutin. The idea struck him when he was pondering why his sketches were underwhelming compared to his vision. He then saw an assistant painting her nails red, grabbed the nail polish and applied it to the sole of the shoe. The red, lacquered sole then became his trademark and took over the world from the red carpet to the editorial. Since this pivotal moment in the 90’s red bottomed heels have become synonymous with wealth, femininity and status.
Louboutin says the main inspiration he pulls from when creating his shoes are the show girls he saw at the Moulin Rouge while he was growing up in Paris. He wants the shoes to make women feel sexy and own their sexuality in the way of the cabaret girls he was surrounded by. When asked in an interview with CNN if the shoes were really for the benefit of men or women he replied “My shoes are a communication tool between people,” before later coming around to the idea that they are ultimately for women.
Or so they were until 2011 when he opened his first men’s boutique. Since then male celebrities and trendsetters from all over the world of music and fashion have been wearing red bottoms. Even more recently we have seen heels on male trend setters like Kanye West, Justin Bieber and Harry Styles.
Whether meant for men or women, it’s 2017 and everyone has the right to wear whatever makes them look and feel good.
