Written by the Avantelle authentication team, who inspect and authenticate every pre-owned pair we sell. · Last updated July 2026
A wedding dress is worn once and then boxed for good. The shoes are the exception. Choose them well and the pair you marry in becomes the single piece of the day that stays in your wardrobe, and every time that red sole flashes across a room afterwards it carries a little of the occasion with it. That is the real argument for thinking carefully here, and for thinking about Christian Louboutin.
This is a straight guide to Christian Louboutin wedding shoes: which bridal heels suit which kind of day, how the sizing really runs, what pre-owned pairs actually cost, and why buying second-hand makes unusual sense for a shoe worn once. Whether you want a towering bridal pump for the photographs or a lower wedding heel you can dance in, there is a red sole for it.
The short version
For the photographs and a seated ceremony, the So Kate 120mm is the most recognisable bridal heel there is. For a full day on your feet, a Pigalle 85 or 100 gives you the same silhouette with far less to negotiate by midnight. And because a wedding shoe is worn once, buying pre-owned here is unusually easy: near pristine pairs at a fraction of the boutique price.
- For the photographs: So Kate 120mm
- For all day on your feet: Pigalle 85 or 100mm
- For a lighter, distinctive line: Iriza 100 (d'Orsay)
- For evening and metallics: Kate 85 in silver
Which Christian Louboutin is best for a wedding?
The common mistake is to marry in the most photographed shoe rather than the most wearable one. The So Kate 120mm is the image most brides picture: a sharp point, a sculpted stiletto, the red sole visible from every angle. It earns its place for the ceremony entrance and the portraits. Asking it to carry you through eight hours on unfamiliar ground, in a shoe you have worn perhaps once before, is a different proposition.
Here is how the core bridal heels sit for a wedding day.
| Style | Heel | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| So Kate | 120mm | the photographs and a seated ceremony |
| Pigalle | 85 or 100mm | the whole day, ceremony to dancing |
| Simple Pump | 70 to 100mm | width, and long hours on your feet |
| Iriza (d'Orsay) | 85 or 100mm | a lighter, more distinctive silhouette |
| Kate | 85mm | evening, metallics, a refined line |
| New Very Privé | 120mm platform | height with a gentler pitch underfoot |
The Pigalle 85 or 100 is the bridal pump most brides actually want. The line is unmistakably Louboutin, the toe box is a touch kinder than the flagship, and at those heights the shoe stops arguing with you halfway through the reception. The Simple Pump is the answer if width matters or you are on your feet from noon. The Iriza, cut away at the sides in the d'Orsay manner, photographs differently from a standard pump and suits a bride who wants something quieter than a 120mm stiletto. These are the wedding heels most brides reach for, and every one is a women's wedding shoe you will wear again.
Are Christian Louboutin wedding shoes comfortable all day?
Honestly, at 120mm no stiletto is built for standing all day, Louboutin included. The pitch tips your weight onto the ball of the foot, and that load builds over hours in a way a ten minute try-on at home never reveals. Most brides find the 120 fine for the ceremony and the photographs, and demanding across a long reception.
Drop to 85 or 100mm and the day changes. The aesthetic is intact, the strain is not. A pair broken in over two or three evenings beforehand behaves nothing like one taken out of the box that morning. Plan for your feet to swell, too. The warmth of the room and the hours on them are real. Our comfort guide gives the unvarnished account of a full day in Louboutins, and the heel heights guide covers what each height asks of you.
A pair broken in over two or three evenings beforehand behaves nothing like one taken out of the box that morning.
Summer, destination and outdoor weddings
A summer wedding, a destination wedding on a beach, or a garden ceremony each change the maths. Grass, sand, gravel and old cobbles are the natural enemy of a fine stiletto tip. The heel sinks and catches. For a garden or a marquee, a slightly lower heel or a platform style spreads the load and keeps you level. For a beach or a destination wedding, an open sandal or a lower Simple Pump is kinder than a pointed 120. A clear heel cap from a cobbler, fitted beforehand, saves both the sole and your composure on soft ground. If you are a wedding guest rather than the bride, the same rule holds: match the heel to the floor you will be standing on.
The Bridal collection, and the something-blue sole
Christian Louboutin opened his first Paris boutique in 1991, and bridal has been part of the house almost from the start. In March 2026 the house unveiled its Bridal 2026 collection: stilettos, sandals and ballet flats in soft leathers, sparkling embroidery and luminous, near transparent finishes. A special order service at selected boutiques offers personalisation, including initials and a sole finished in the house's lucky blue hue, a quiet answer to the something blue tradition. Bridal Louboutins have a long following on the red carpet and down the aisle, part of why the silhouettes read so instantly in wedding photographs.
If you want a piece from the current season, the new collection is worth knowing. If you are open to pre-owned, the question of which silhouette suits your day is the same whatever year the pair was made.
Should you buy your wedding Louboutins pre-owned?
This is the strongest pre-owned case in the whole shoe wardrobe. Wedding shoes are worn once. That means the market is full of pairs that walked a single aisle and then went back in the box: soles barely marked, uppers close to boutique condition, at well under the boutique figure. Buying second-hand here is not a compromise, it is the smart move.
Pre-owned bridal Louboutins at Avantelle, right now
Prices start around £175 for a nude Dorissima 100, with a nude Pigalle 100 at £184.99, the So Kate 120 in nude from £249.99, and a silver Kate 85 at £324.99. Against roughly £595 to £795 new, that is the pre-owned case in a single line. Every pair is authenticated in house.
There is a second, quieter advantage. A pair worn once has already begun to soften. Leather that has taken the shape of a foot for a few hours has lost the first stiffness that makes a brand new pair unforgiving on the morning of a wedding. A gently worn pre-owned pair of bridal shoes is often the more comfortable choice, not the compromise.
The one rule that does not bend is authentication. The red sole is among the most copied marks in fashion, and the difference tells under close inspection. Buy from a specialist who authenticates every pair, and read our authentication guide before you ever consider a private seller.
How to size Christian Louboutin for your wedding day
Wedding sizing deserves more care than an ordinary occasion. Most Louboutin styles run about half a size small, and the narrower the last, the more you feel it. For the day itself:
- Size up at least half a size from your usual Louboutin fit, a full size if you are between.
- Favour the Pigalle or Simple Pump if width is a concern. Both are a little more forgiving than a pointed 120.
- Wear a pre-owned pair at least twice before the wedding. Breaking them in removes the single biggest source of day-of discomfort.
- Sizing runs in EU. Our size guide covers the UK conversions.
The one thing to avoid is a box fresh pair for the morning of the wedding. One evening out in them beforehand tells you everything the fitting could not.
Shop pre-owned bridal Louboutins
A few authenticated pairs in the collection now, each inspected in house. Stock is one-of-a-kind, so it moves.
Browse all pre-owned Christian Louboutin heels ›
Frequently asked questions
Which Christian Louboutin is best for a wedding?
The So Kate 120mm for the photographs and a seated ceremony, a Pigalle 85 or 100mm for a full day on your feet, and the Iriza 100 for a lighter, more distinctive silhouette.
Are Christian Louboutin bridal heels comfortable all day?
At 120mm they are event shoes, comfortable for the ceremony and photographs and demanding over a long reception. At 85 to 100mm, broken in beforehand, most brides wear these bridal heels through the evening.
What heel height should a bride choose?
85 to 100mm is the sweet spot for a full wedding day. Save 120mm for shorter, largely seated occasions, or for the portraits.
Should I buy my wedding shoes pre-owned or second-hand?
It is the strongest pre-owned case there is. Wedding shoes are worn once, so pairs come to market near pristine, already softened, and well under boutique price. Buy authenticated.
What Louboutin wedding pumps suit a summer or destination wedding?
On grass, sand or gravel, choose a lower wedding heel, a platform such as the New Very Prive, or an open sandal, and fit a clear heel cap so the tip does not sink.
How should I size Christian Louboutin bridal shoes?
Size up at least half a size, favour the roomier Pigalle or Simple Pump if width is a concern, and break the pair in over two or three evenings first.
Are Louboutin wedding soles really blue?
Through the special order service Louboutin offers a sole in its lucky blue hue, a discreet nod to the something blue tradition, alongside personalised initials.
Choose it to keep
Whatever you choose, choose it to keep. The dress goes into a box. The shoes come out again, at anniversaries and dinners and the odd ordinary Tuesday when you want to feel the way you felt that day. That is the case for spending your thought, and your budget, on a red sole made to last. Browse our authenticated pre-owned Christian Louboutin heels and find the pair you will still be reaching for years from now.
