7 easy ways to identify a genuine Christian Louboutin shoe

Christian Louboutin red soles are a statement of class and distinction. But it's sometimes hard to determine whether the pair of shoes you are buying are genuine or not. If you want to be absolutely certain, go to the Christian Louboutin boutique. However, if you are a consignment store shopper, here are seven identification steps to follow before making the payment.

The shoe box

Christian Louboutin shoes are packed in a strong brown box that features the Christian Louboutin logo and the word Paris below and toward the right-hand corner. Make sure to check the size, font and placement of the logo carefully. Remember: A real box can carry fake shoes.

Label

Christian Louboutin boxes feature a white label on one end detailing style, color, size information and the logo. Make sure to check that this information matches the details of the shoe. Also check size, print, quality, spacing and font of the label copy. A messy label definitely is not from an authentic Louboutin box.

Shoe bag

Christian Louboutin heels are accompanied by a soft cotton (almost velvet) red dust bag with the logo and the word Paris below and to the right. This also applies to the little dust bag that carries the accessories. For example, if your shoes have spikes, you will find extra spikes. The flat side of the studs should have a "CL" engraving. The shade of the red can vary, but the material and clarity of the print and font are always high quality.

NOTE: Authentic Louboutins do NOT come with (red) plastic authenticity cards or cards stating they guarantee the materials are of "high quality." Also, the extra heel noppes should be in the small red dust bag and not in a plastic bag. If you see any of the mentioned cards of cheap plastic bags, do not bother to authenticate the shoes. They're fake!

Insole

Christian Louboutin insoles have their logo stamped in gold ink followed by the word Paris written below. Check the size, position and alignment of the logo carefully. The color of the inside sole isn't always beige. For example, the bridal collection has a baby blue inside sole to represent the "something blue" for brides, and some models have a (full) colored sole.

The red sole

Christian Louboutin shoes have a distinct signature red sole. "Lipstick" red is the shade most often used, but it can vary to a more orange red because Louboutin shoes are handmade and manufactured in different factories. Louboutin soles have red soles that are made of leather and NOT plastic and therefore should look glossy, like nail lacquer. The "L" in Louboutin must almost touch the rest of the word. However, most replicas have a noticeable space in between. A Louboutin with a Vero Cuoio stamp isn't automatically fake because older authentic models do have this stamp. However, if you see a current model with this stamp, the shoe is fake. The Vero Cuoio stamp can vary in font, depth and outline.

The "Made in Italy" should be engraved in capital letters and should not be written as one word "MADEINITALY."

Authentic Louboutin shoes (except espadrilles) come in half sizes (1/2 and NOT .5) and they always have the EU sizes (38 NOT 5). Replicas often come in full sizes and full heel sizes because it's cheaper to manufacture. If you look at the websites of purveyors of replicas, you will most likely see heel sizes 100, 120, 140 and not 85. The same goes for the shoe sizes: 38, 39, 40 not 38 ½.

Stitching

Authentic Louboutin shoes should have perfect and consistent stitching. The fake stitches are wide and sloppy. The authentic stitching is evenly spaced, accurate, tight, straight and with a tidy finish. Also, some replicas have a tab/overlap on the top of the seam on the back. Authentic basic models like Pigalle, Daffodile and So Kate don't have that. Louboutins are considered pure art. The lines are refined, sexy and feminine. The fake shoes have bulky lines subtracting class to the stiletto.

Replicas often have a thin black band at the shoe part of the sole. However, some authentic models have a black band. Before purchasing, Google the model to see which color the band should be.