You buy your first (or 10th) pair of Christian Louboutin’s. $1,000 and 6 days later you still have not touched them. You’re scared you’ll get your shoes dirty. What now? Do you buy a plastic bag and wrap each shoe individually before you start each day? This does not sound practical, and may look a little funny. There are several ways you can upkeep your Christian Louboutin’s. Keep in mind, they ARE sneakers. They WILL get dirty. They WILL get damaged to some degree after several wears. Some people tip toe around, others run a mile. This will increase or decrease the life span of your new beauties. Here I will try to give you as many tips and hacks that I can for giving your Louboutin’s the life they deserve.
Disclaimer- I am writing this with personal experience. Any care for your Christian Louboutin’s should be thought out and researched before executing.
Before I get started with what I believe works best, I would like to start off with the recommendation from the official Christian Louboutin
PRODUCT CARE
Christian Louboutin strongly recommends that our customers consult a leather care professional or a shoemaker for specific care advice. In order to keep your Christian Louboutin products in good condition, we advise following the below care instructions:
Keep the leather area clean and dry using a dry soft cloth. Always store your products away from light and heat. Protect your leather good from rain and moisture. Store your products in the Christian Louboutin dust bag provided to you when not in use. Avoid contact with abrasive surfaces.
Christian Louboutin
Okay now that we got that out of the way, lets get started!
Christian Louboutin Maintenance
Baby wipes. Yes. You read the correctly. This is the easiest and simplist way to keep your shoes clean! After every wear I personally wipe down the red soles with baby wipes. Baby wipes are free of any ingredients that will seriously damage your shoe. Just a quick wipe down will go a long way in the long run. I also use baby wipes to clean leather. Will it get out all that nitty gritty? No, but it will definitely take off a top layer of sludge that tends to collect over time.
Christian Louboutin Red Bottom Cleaning
Acetone. This is a controversial method and is used strictly for the midsole. Many of you may not agree with me here, which is okay. But this the ultimate hack for my personal pairs. This is in my opinion the BEST way to get rid of dirt and grime on the outer sole of white shoes. THIS METHOD IS NOT TO BE USED ON THE RED BOTTOM OR COLORED SOLES. The acetone can and will start to remove some of the coloring. Now, if you ask me my personal opinion, which is what you’re reading, I do use this method on colored outer soles. The color will start to come off, but by the time I see the color, the shoe is already clean. It will not actually take all the color out or make it less vibrant (unless you scrub aggressively). I use it very lightly to remove any outer stuck on grime. Do not use this method on the uppers, you will destroy your shoes. This is strictly for the sole. Below you see on the left, a very common tough grime-like substance that continues to build up on the midsole. To get these cleaned to look like the shoe on the right, all I had to do was lightly graze the outer sole with a cotton ball of acetone. This does not require aggressive rubbing.
Jason Markk. This is for your conventional cleanings. Most of you have heard of Jason Markk, but if you have not, its a safe cleaner to use on most surfaces. One of the more popular cleaners, you can purchase this at most shoe stores, Walmart, Target etc. The intro set comes with a simple bottle and brush. Wet the brush and squirt some solution into the brush. LIGHTLY scrub the impacted area. Set aside and let dry. More often than not I only use the scrubbing brush to clean the sole. It works well! In my opinion, if you are cleaning suede, this brush can really rough out the suede. Yes it technically is made for suede, but the brush is course. So I advise to just lightly scrub the area instead of taking all your aggression out on it. I personally take all my suede and velour products to a cobbler for cleaning. Using this kit for leather, I find that it is more beneficial to apply the solution into a towel and rubbing it that way. It seems to reduce the impact on the leather. For more information on the use of Jason Markk cleaning kit and to purchase please visit their website.
Cigarette Burns. To put it bluntly, you are out of luck. Once you burn into the red sole, there is nothing that can be done to repair it aside from maybe somehow painting over it, but in my opinion, that would look like ass. If any of my readers have a hack to sort this issue let me know in the comments!
Creasing. I get this everyday. How to avoid creasing on a shoe. Listen, its not possible (unless you walk like a duck). You have to understand shoes are meant to be worn. They will get creased. Its natural. I am going to link in a tutorial from the website Instructables where they show you step by step instructions on how to un-crease shoes using water and an iron. I personally would never take an iron to my Christian Louboutin’s, but if you have the balls to do it, you can click here and learn all about it.
Sole Protectors. Let me start by saying none of my shoes have sole protectors on them. I personally feel like they make the red bottom look horrible. Worse than it does without the protector. These are pretty good if you plan on selling them in the future. What I find with a lot of these sole protectors is that they leave a nasty sticky residue when removed. Sole Guard makes a solid option for those who are interested in a sole protector. But since these won’t help with heel drag, I would rather use a baby wipe to clean up the sole. If you did want a sole protector, click here to purchase.
Christian Louboutin Repair
Repair. Christian Louboutin will help you with repairs. The most common issue with Christian Louboutin’s are that the spikes often fall off. This is completely normal and is bound to happen. After a the night out you come home the next morning missing a spike. What do you do?
I have a spare spike. If you do, you have three options. First option is to call your local cobbler and see if they have the machine to apply the spikes. If they do, you will bring the shoe and spare spike to the shop. Around $30 and 4 days later you should be all set to go. If your local cobbler does not have the machine, you will have to contact an official Christian Louboutin boutique. But do not suddenly walk in and just hand them the shoes for repair. This is usually a courtesy that they do and not all boutiques have the machine. Call them up first and ask! A third method is controversial like cleaning with acetone. This is a hack that will work depending on how comfortable you are. If you have the spare spike, and you can EASILY put it back on the existing stud, without any movement or pressure, you can apply a tiny drop of super glue and put on the spike yourself. Set and let dry. Again this is a hack and a personal opinion of mine. It is always recommended to bring the item to a professional to handle.
I do not have a spare spike. In this case, you have 2 options. You can contact your SA (Sales Associate) directly and see if they can order you a spike or if they have it in stock. Otherwise you need to contact Louboutin customer service. Their direct email is on their website. Contact them and ask them if they can send you a spare spike to your model. You will have to provide photos and some times you will need to provide proof of purchase. Once you receive this spike you can follow my previous instructions.
I am ending this blog with a list of recommended cobblers. There are plenty of ways to keep your kicks looking fresh at all times. If any of my readers have suggestions please drop a comment below! Don’t forget, just be cautious, don’t go hiking in them, and keep them away from your hungry dog.
Christian Louboutin Recommended Cobblers
PASQUALE SHOE RESTORATION
5616 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90019
Tel : 323.936.6883
email: contact@pasqualeshoerepair.com
SANTANA LEATHER CARE
214 W 39th Street, Suite 302A, New York NY, 10018
Tel : 1.800.291.9021
email: customerservice@santanalc.com
LEATHER SPA
55 West 55th St, New York NY, 10019
Tel : 212.262.4823
email: info@leatherspa.com
