Famous for their red gloss soles, Christian Louboutin shoes are highly sought after. With this in mind, as well as their high price tag, Louboutin’s are often faked. With so many Christian Louboutin heels and shoes being repaired at Baxter & Black, I often get asked about Louboutin: Real vs Fake? Many of our clients also buy online and send straight to Baxter & Black for authentication. For this reason, I have pulled together a list to help you out before purchasing:

The famous Christian Louboutin red sole

Without a doubt, the easiest way to tell is the red sole. The Louboutin red bottoms should be vibrant red, shiny leather, with a slight curve to the edges. Furthermore, it shouldn’t be plastic, resin or flat. When worn, it will look like scruffed-up leather.

New Christian Louboutin shoes come with the leather sole. However, many people opt to get a rubber sole overlay to give grip. The vast majority of shoe repairers use Topy leather which has the Topy logo stamped across it. Christian Louboutin’s repairer in France, Minuit Moins 7 uses a Christian Louboutin stamped red rubber overlay sole.

At Baxter & Black, we use an Italian-made shiny red sole to match the rest of the shoe exactly. We use the same process as Louboutin’s repairer in France, Minuit Moins 7. The process involves lightly sanding down the original sole, before glueing the rubber overlay sole ontop. The edges are gently aligned with the original sole. Finally, the sole edges are touched up with matching paint. Our process has a much sleeker and thinner profile than using the Topy rubber overlay.

The Christian Louboutin shoe bag

The red Christian Louboutin shoe bag should be high-quality felt with a crisp black logo and the word ‘Paris’ on the bottom right. In this case, the logo doesn’t necessarily have to be centred. Check the type is the correct shape compared to the logo. It will have a black drawstring at the top.

There are two different sizes of red Christian Louboutin shoe bags. The larger size is usually used for men’s shoes, while the smaller is for ladies shoes.

Christian Louboutin also has white felt shoe bags. The first white shoe bag has a white silk lining, with red print and red drawstring. They are used for speciality or delicate shoes such as strappy or spiked heels. There is also a white shoe bag without silk lining, with red print and red drawstring. These are used for men’s shoes.

The Christian Louboutin box

The real Christian Louboutin box should have the word ‘Paris’ in the bottom right corner. Many fakes boxes have it tucked up under the logo. The print should be crisp and white. The Christian Louboutin should sit at the correct shoe box angle as shown below.

The Louboutin box label

Along with the actual box, an authentic Louboutin product will have a label showing the Christian Louboutin logo, European size, style and colour. A sure-fire way to tell if it’s a fake is to check it has the correct spelling and the letters are evenly spaced. This is a great trick for all fake products.

The Christian Louboutin insole

A real Louboutin has a logo printed into the insole, it also may have the word ‘Paris’ below. Check the original logo and ensure that the font is the same. The print should not be smeared, overlapped or thick. The insole should be neat with no gaps where joining the shoe upper. Generally, authentic Christian Louboutin insoles should be neat and precise. Having an insole with two different types of leather is an easier way to check this.

Christian Louboutin stitching

Indeed, a Christian Louboutin shoe should be of the highest quality. There should be no missed stitches or heavy stitching. Additionally, the stitching should be incredibly straight and even along the edges. Generally, the stitching should not stand out oo much as it may detract from the beauty of the shoe.

Christian Louboutin Proof of purchase

Just like brands such as Louis Vuitton and Hermès, a real pair of Christian Louboutins DO NOT have a card of authenticity. The card is a sure giveaway of a fake product. Therefore, the only paperwork that can prove they are real, is the receipt.

The Christian Louboutin sole stamp

Look closely at the sole, it will be stamped with the ‘Christian Louboutin’ logo, then ‘MADE IN ITALY’ in capital letters, followed by the size. Keep in mind that the leather shape with ‘VERO CUOIO’ was used in the shoes made before 2007. The sizes are in European measurements and the half sizes are always 1/2 and not .5.

Attention to detail

Observe the attention to detail, like the edging of the soles and the joins. The leather should not have any manufacturing puckers around the sole, and sit smoothly around the whole shoe. Fake Louboutin leather doesn’t often sit right. Real Louboutins will be smooth and look neat. Unlike fake Louboutins, that will show gaps and glue. Additionally, if the shoes have embellishments, they should be evenly spaced and attached well. Louboutins will use only the highest quality leather and fabrics, they won’t have a plastic smell.

The Christian Louboutin shoe shape

Last but not least, Christian Louboutin shoes have an elegant and sleek silhouette. Consequently, they won’t look clunky, and the joins should flow. If the design or the curves are not drool-worthy, there’s a good chance they are fake. With this in mind, research the real shoes and compare the ones you need to authenticate… quite often there will be a small difference that will tell you they are fake.

Buying secondhand Christian Louboutins

If you are considering purchasing secondhand Christian Louboutins shoes or heels, it is a good idea to ensure you can get your money back if they are fake. Luckily, eBay or Paypal can do this, but, by buying at markets, Gumtree or on Facebook Marketplace means that if you buy a fake pair of shoes you have no way of getting your money back.

Furthermore, if you are interested in buying online, you can have the shoes sent to our team at Baxter & Black to check if they are authentic. If they are fake you can get your money back, and if they are real we can clean them up and bring them back to life. We offer various Christian Louboutin services including:

• Cleaning and deodorising the insole
• Adding a shiny red sole to ensure they maintain their colour
• Adding a new plastic or metal heel tip to ensure longer wear
• Touching up the red sole with matching paint
• Recoating a damaged heel in matching fabric or leather
• A clean up/reconditioning of the upper shoe.

To view some examples of our Christian Louboutin repairs, visit our Before & After page.

For a list of Baxter & Black ladies shoe repairs, go here.

Written by Rachel Black.