Authenticity Guide
Christian Louboutin shoes are one of the most sort after and expensive designer fashion items. Christian Louboutins shoes are a favourite amongst celebrities and fashionistas. Due to such popularity, and a high price tag, replica Christian Louboutin shoes are flooding the market, offering a cheaper alternative. It is illegal to sell or knowing buy replica goods. Replicas can range in quality, some are easier to spot than others, but if you are unaware of what to look for you could end up paying a lot of money for an item which you thought was authentic.
Buying replica's directly affects the brand in a negative way.
This guide will provide the key areas which distinguish authentic Christian Louboutin shoes to replica Christian Louboutin shoes.
Official Stores and Websites
Christian Louboutin shoes are stocked in department and flagship stores. There are 58 flagship stores around the world as of 2016. Purchasing your shoes from one of these stores guarantees authenticity. Large department stores such as Harrods, Selfridges, Saks, all sell authentic Christian Louboutin shoes. You can locate a flagship store here.
Purchasing from the official Christian Louboutin website is also a source of guaranteed authentic Christian Louboutin shoes. (EU / US)
Purchasing online can be tricky. There are websites out there which mimic Christian Louboutins website, with far lower price tags. ( Here is an example of a website selling replica Christian Louboutins. )
"Stop Fake" by Christian Louboutin provides a directory of fake/replica websites which do not sell official Christian Louboutin shoes. I would advise anyone purchasing from a website they are unsure of to check the directory before going ahead with a purchase. ( View the directory here )
Purchasing from any of the following websites, guarantees authentic Christian Louboutin shoes:
Net-A-Porter
BlueFly
Saks Fifth Avenue
Harrods
Farfetch
Selfridges
Bergdorf Goodman
Matches Fashion
Barneys
Browns Fashion
Neiman Marcus
Auction sites
If you are purchasing from an auction site be extremely carefull. Sites such as Ebay and Depop have authentic and replica shoes listed. I would suggest the following:
1. Check the seller's feedback score (anything under 10 should raise concerns, also does the seller have any negative feedback)
2. Check the listings description (basic descriptions such as "Christian Louboutin Shoes" are an indication of possible replicas. Check listings for when the shoes were purchased, where they were purchased, and the reason for selling.) People which sell authentic Christian Louboutin shoes often take great pride in owning them, and have legitimate reasons for selling such as changes in their shoes sizes after pregnancy, doctors advice for no longer wearing heels, buying the wrong size.
3. Check the number of photos and photo quality (if the listing has only a few photos, or is hard to see any of the significant markings this could be a reason for concern. Ask for photos of the key areas, which are in this guide)
4. Check if the seller has the Receipt (this does not always mean the item is authentic, as a dishonest seller could swap the authentic shoes with replica ones. There is a low chance of this happening, but just be aware it is not proof the item is 100% authentic)
The Box
Authentic Christian Louboutin shoes come in a sturdy brown shoe box. Replica shoes often come in a box which looks very similar to the real thing, but the quality is poor, and is very flimsy. Check the corners and structure of the box, this is a telling sign, if the item is possibly real or fake.
(Above - Christian Louboutin box from an authentic pair of "Bianca 140" Black Patent)
The logo is printed on the top of the box and if you run your fingers over the logo it should be slightly raised and feel smooth. The location of the logo is important. The word "Paris" should have a capital P with the rest of the letters in lowercase. Its location should be slightly inwards from the bottom right corner of the box. Replicas often place the word directly in the corner.
(Above - Christian Louboutin box lid from an authentic pair of "Pigalle 100" Blush no.5 Kid Leather)
At one end of the box lid there should be a small Christian Louboutin logo. If this logo is missing or is not perfectly in the middle (must not have any of the logo cut off the edge) then the item is a replica. An authentic box should have a sticker label with the style name, colour, size, barcode, and a christian louboutin logo with a black background. Items which were purchased from departments stores such as Selfridges may also have the price.
(Above - Christian Louboutin box sticker label from an authentic pair of "So Kate" Tissu Beauty Black Satin)
(Above - Christian Louboutin box sticker label from an authentic pair of "Bianca 140" Black Patent)
The logo is printed on the top of the box and if you run your fingers over the logo it should be slightly raised and feel smooth. The location of the logo is important. The word "Paris" should have a capital P with the rest of the letters in lowercase. Its location should be slightly inwards from the bottom right corner of the box. Replicas often place the word directly in the corner.
At one end of the box lid there should be a small Christian Louboutin logo. If this logo is missing or is not perfectly in the middle (must not have any of the logo cut off the edge) then the item is a replica. An authentic box should have a sticker label with the style name, colour, size, barcode, and a christian louboutin logo with a black background. Items which were purchased from departments stores such as Selfridges may also have the price.
Dustbags & Heeltip bags
All Christian Louboutin shoes come with a dustbag. The number of dustbags depends on the style, most styles come with one dustbag, but some may come with two. Knee high and thigh high boots come with a larger dustbag than shoes do. All high heel shoes come with a heel tip bag accompanied by a spare pair of heel tips, which can be used in the future to repair the worn heels. Until recently all dustbags came in a red colour, but now some styles are accompanied by white dustbags. The shades of red do vary, along with the material the dustbag is made from (this is mainly due to give the correct protection for the material of the shoes, ie, suede, satin, leather). The material of the dustbags is of very high quality, replicas usually are made from cheap felt.
The Christian Louboutin logo should be straight and in the middle of the dustbag and heeltip bag. Replica dustbags often have the logo slanted. For the red dustbags the pull cord should be black.
(Above - Christian Louboutin dustbag from an authentic pair of "Pigalle 120" Black Patent)
(Above - Christian Louboutin dustbag stitching from an authentic pair of "Pigalle 120" Black Patent)
(Above - Christian Louboutin heeltip bag from an authentic pair of "Pigalle 120" Black Patent)
The Christian Louboutin logo should be straight and in the middle of the dustbag and heeltip bag. Replica dustbags often have the logo slanted. For the red dustbags the pull cord should be black.
(Above - Christian Louboutin dustbag from an authentic pair of "Pigalle 120" Black Patent)
Tissue Paper
Authentic Christian Louboutin shoes are neatly presented in white tissue paper. This is also placed inside of the shoe's toebox to maintain the shape. Their is often a section of tissue paper used to divide each shoe, to prevent them marking each other. Two plastic sticks come with the shoes which are used to maintain the shoe's shape (these connect from the heel to the tissue paper inside the toebox). Many replica shoes have grey tissue paper, made of a cheap material.
(Above - Christian Louboutin shape sticks and toebox tissue paper from an authentic pair of "So Kate" Black Patent)
(Above - Christian Louboutin tissue paper with divider from an authentic pair of "So Kate" Black Patent)
Insole Logo
All Christian Louboutin shoes have a metallic gold logo positioned on the insole. The positioning of this logo is an obvious indication for determining if the shoes are authentic or replica. The logo should be away from the heel, and the word "Paris" should have a significant gap from the bottom of the logo. Most replicas position the word "Paris" directly underneath the logo, and this is a clear indication the shoes are not authentic.
(Above - Christian Louboutin insole logo from an authentic pair of "So Kate" Black Patent)
Sole Stamp
The sole stamp should be in european sizes (34-42). Half sizes are available in all Christian Louboutins shoes, and this is always presented by a fraction (½) and never by a decimal. The words "MADE IN ITALY" should all be in capital letters, with spaces between each word. Many replicas do not have spaces between the words. A 'Vero Cuoio' stamp (translated from italian means Real Leather) does occur in a few Christian Louboutin styles.
(Above - Christian Louboutin insole logo from an authentic pair of "So Kate" Black Patent)
(Above - Christian Louboutin insole logo from an authentic pair of "So Kate" Black Patent)
Sole
The luxurious painted leather sole, now this is the area everyone is most concerned about. Authentic Christian Louboutin shoes have the soles painted in a vibrant shade of red called "Pantone 18-1663 TPX". It has a slight shine to it, and should not be too glossy. The sole itself is 100% leather, and like all other leather soles, they mark. With use/wear the red paint will be removed by abrasive materials (stone, pavement, wood, etc) this reveals the leather sole. If the shoes have been purchased brand new from a Christian Louboutin flagship store they shall have a protective sticker on them, stating "Don't take these off until you know you're keeping them". This sticker is for returns purposes.
(Above - Christian Louboutin sole sticker from an authentic pair of "Pigalle 100" Blush no.5 Kid Leather)
(Above - Christian Louboutin worn sole from an authentic pair of "Simple 85" Black Patent)
(Above - Christian Louboutin worn sole from an authentic pair of "So Kate" Black Kid Leather)
Stitching
Authentic Christian Louboutin shoes have neat, even, straight stitching with a tidy finish. Replica shoes stitching often frays, and the marksmanship is poor.
(Above - Christian Louboutin heel stitching from an authentic pair of "Pigalle Plato 120" Black Patent)
(Above - Christian Louboutin stitching from an authentic pair of "Pigalle 120" Red Patent)
(Above - Christian Louboutin vamp stitching from an authentic pair of "So Kate 120" Nude Patent)
Documentation
One of the key factors to identify if the shoes are a replica Christian Louboutin is via the included documentations. Inexperienced or first time buyers often make this mistake. Authentic Christian Louboutin shoes DO NOT come with an authenticity card. Many replicas provide a small red or black coloured card inside the box stating the item is authentic, the copycat companies include this to fool people into believing the item is genuine. This fools many people, as other top designers such as Jimmy Choo and Dolce and Gabbana include a care card thanking the buyer for purchasing an official product.
In celebration of Christian Louboutin's 20th anniversary in 2012, an envelope with a card was included inside the box. This is official, authentic documentation.
(Above - Christian Louboutin authentic 20th anniversary collection documentation)
(Above - Christian Louboutin authentic 20th anniversary collection documentation)
(Above - Christian Louboutin authentic 20th anniversary collection documentation)
(Above - Christian Louboutin authentic 20th anniversary collection documentation)
(Above - Christian Louboutin authentic 20th anniversary collection documentation)
(Above - Christian Louboutin authentic 20th anniversary collection documentation)
Christian Louboutin also includes a receipt card holder if purchased at a flagship store.
(Above - Christian Louboutin authentic receipt card holder documentation)
(Above - Christian Louboutin authentic receipt card holder documentation)
(Above - Christian Louboutin authentic receipt documentation)
(Above - Christian Louboutin authentic receipt documentation)
Conclusion
I hope this guide has helped authenticate a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes you have purchased or are looking to purchase. Christian Louboutin shoes are a luxury item and a fashion statement, remember to inspect the shoes to confirm they are authentic. If you are confident your purchase is a replica, please report it to Christian Louboutin (here) or if you live in the United Kingdom, you can report the seller to Trading Standards (here).
If you are buying an item from ebay or another auction website, you can provide the listings information on the PurseForums website (here), to which a registered user shall inspect the item for you, and give their opinion on whether the item is authentic or not.
