Christian Louboutin: 'I don't think comfort equals happiness'

[boston bean]

Christian Louboutin is committing sacrilege. "I really wish I had invented the flip-flop," he says, deadpan. This from the man who has inspired legions of women to fetishise footwear; whose devotees, from Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni to Angelina Jolie, Lady Gaga and Madonna, love to slip on his scarlet-soled, 6in heels; from the auteur who pretty much single-handedly brought the stiletto back into fashion. "I love flip-flops. It's the one style of shoe I would be so proud of inventing: the Havaiana."

Famously never compromising design for comfort, the master of shoe couture seems surprisingly taken by my flats. "I'm really not a fascist," he murmurs. "Everyone wears what they feel great in, or comfortable with. It's a beautiful day, you have an armless shirt: it goes with flip-flops."

I was expecting Louboutin in person to be as intimidating as his shoes, but he's playful, chatty and as expressive as any self-respecting Frenchman, frantically conducting the air for emphasis. "I don't hate the idea of comfort," he says. "I just don't think it's important for me as a designer, it's not in my creative process. Some people say, for instance, they're in a comfortable relationship. I favour someone who would tell me: 'I am in a very passionate relationship'. It's the same thing for shoes. I would rather someone say, 'Your shoes look passionate and sexy', than 'Your shoes look so comfortable'." He says this applies equally to his own relationships. "I'm really not a comfortable person," he adds. "I don't think comfort equals happiness."

His vertiginous, red-soled shoes stand accused of anti-feminism. This he dismisses, leaping into dangerous territory with both well-shod feet. "Madonna is a feminist and has been doing more for the cause than all the grumpy feminists, who are giving nothing back by being grumpy," he says. He believes suggesting women should not wear heels is actually anti-feminist. "It's saying women are not smart enough to make their own choices."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/christian-louboutin-i-dont-think-comfort-equals-happiness-7791467.html

[redqueen]

1. Informed choices are great.

But the fact that those shoes *will* deform your feet with regular use is not widely known. Perhaps if they came with warning labels... and the nature of the patriarchy and its ridiculous beauty standards became part of the curriculum in health or sociology classes.

Perhaps they could discuss the phenomenon whereby women spend tens of thousands of dollars to have leaky bags of mattress gel inserted into healthy tissue in order to conform to those same ridiculous beauty standards... or starve themselves... or make themselves throw up...

[boston bean]

3. Funny thing is, is he wants to tell women what is anti-feminist

And gets angry, it appears, when other say something is anti feminist.

I can't stand it when people do that.

[enough]

6. +1 (nt)

[redqueen]

7. +10^{10^{100}}

Yes, funny how that seems to work, it is. Quite common, too.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

2. He's an idiot.

There is no way in hell I would wear heels. And because I am petite, the fashion judges would tell me I HAVE to wear heels to be taller.

Well fitting shoes should not hurt at all. i wear good soft dress shoes. They ain't cheap but they last a long time.

It's sneakers and sandals otherwise. zappos.com has shoes to fit everyone at reasonable prices.

[boston bean]

4. To be honest, no woman has ever said to me your shoes are so sexy.

I have had many women tell me my shoes look soooooooooo comfortable.

[seabeyond]

5. "don't think comfort equals happiness." uncomfortable equals happiness?

some people truly fail at logic

say he wants to make out there, even sexy shoes. but, i would betcha comfortable is going to equal a hell of a lot more happiness than uncomfortable.

[eridani]

8. "Sexy" uncomfortable shoes are OK for 15 minutes or so

Meaning that the point is to get them off. Clothing that you live in for any length of time is an entirely different matter.

[JustAnotherGen]

9. Oh lord

Hes using Madonna as an example of a strong feminist.

I'm sure he would look down on my collection of Tieks and Rondini sandals I've collected over the years.

I'm sure I wouldn't care if he did!

What he should do is become a sponsor of Walk A Mile In My Shoes. Those men get it. Maybe he will too when he starts donating his shoes to these men.