Kate Moss inspired one of Christian Louboutin's most famous heels

Crocs, pumped-up sneakers, and ballet flats have dominated the shoe debate for some time, but our obsession with stilettos has by no means gone away. Case in point: Over the past three months, Net-a-Porter reported a 175% increase in searches for Christian Louboutin’s So Kate pumps, featuring a towering 120mm heel, making a strong case for summer favor for girls with stiletto heels.

Image may contain Kate Moss Person Clothing Shoes High Heel Shoes Adult Formal Wear Clothing & Bag Accessories

Countless designers and brands have come up with their own take on the classic pump heel, but Christian Louboutin decided to take inspiration from a certain model. “Kate has a sharp style, simple and very complex at the same time,” he says. Vogue of the famous Kate shoes that he presented in 2012, named after his muse and friend, Kate Moss.

“It looked so much like Kate, simple but very sophisticated,” he continues. “I thought this pump should just be named after her, because it was so Kate (sic).” Recognizable by its sharp heel, its “plunging neckline”, its “toe cleavage” and of course its emblematic red lacquered sole, the Kate was, according to Mr. Louboutin, “born to turn heads”.

Image may contain Zendaya Clothing Dress Shoes Shoe Adult High heel Blonde hair Fashion & Accessories

Image may contain adult clothing, gloves and skirt.

And it turned heads: Moss has been a staunch advocate of the shoe since its inception and has endorsed several of the 700 variations now available, including the original shoe’s “stiletto super-sister,” the aforementioned So Kate. Given its famous muse, it’s no surprise that the Kate is a best-seller, having sold over 300,000 pairs in the last five years.

The Kate has recently been a quiet hero of some memorable red carpet looks, having been worn by Zendaya for the Dune And Challengers press tours, styled by Law Roach – the actor sported a pair of tippex white So Kates on several occasions – and by Taylor Russell, who wore patent So Kates with a custom Alexander McQueen gown that turned heads at the gala from the Academy Museum in 2022 Beyoncé also wore the same pair with a custom lace Tom Ford dress in her December 2020 UK outfit. Vogue cover shoot.