Very Privé Louboutin Stilettos

By: Emma Stefankiewicz

Location: Toronto

Place of Origin: Made in Italy

Object Detail: Black Very Privé peep toed Louboutin stilettos

Categories: Women’s footwear

Brief Description: Louboutin stilettos purchased and worn by my mom

Physical Description: Black, scuffed and well worn, 85mm open toed stilettos with red bottom Material: Leather

Tags: women’s footwear, Christian Louboutin, the proposal, role model, working women, girl power

Personal Connection:

Ever since I was little I looked up to my mom. She was a successful woman working in a male dominated field and an amazing mom on top of that. I remember watching the movie The Proposal with her when I was about 10 and there was a scene where Sandra Bullock’s character is going down a ladder in classic open toed, Louboutin stilettos with the red bottom. When my mom saw that scene she instantly knew she had to get a pair but she was adamant that she had to buy the shoes for herself.

The designer Christian Louboutin opened his first shop in Paris in the early 1990s. He found inspiration for his trademark red outer sole in 1993 from France’s vast fashion history. During his reign, King Louis XIV became very fond of red outer sole on men’s heels and created a sumptuary law forbidding everyone who was not an aristocrat to wear them. Learning this, Christian Louboutin loved the idea that a bright red outer sole could represent power, status and exclusivity and implemented it into his shoes which then became his trademark look.

I later learned that my mom admired Sandra Bullock’s character’s strength and decided that she would show that same strength and enough to be able to buy herself the shoes. After working extremely hard and showing such strength she was able to buy herself the shoes which she always wore to work.

These shoe’s became so iconic for her that I could recognize her just by the sound of the heels clicking against the floor. My mom worked incredibly hard which meant that I didn’t get to see her as often but when I heard the sound of these shoes I knew she was there. So not only do these shoes represent all the hard work she put into achieving her dreams, but they also represent that no matter how busy or tired she was, she would still be there for me and be the best mom.