LEFT TO RIGHT: 4.25" leather boots, $150 - Steve Madden | 5.5" white and black patent boots, $925, Christian Louboutin
With the recent controversy surrounding the Gwen Stefani vs. Forever 21 case, several other suspicious items have been brought to attention, including these Christian Louboutin knockoffs. Created by Steve Madden, the boots appear to be an exact replica of the original.
Though many brands (namely Oh Deer! and Nine West) are inspired by Louboutin's designs, Steve Madden has taken it to the next level, releasing their version of the "Emily" boot mere days after Louboutin's were first seen at the RM by Roland Mouret runway show. That's not the worst part, however: Steve Madden's website used the actual photo of Christian Louboutin's boots to show their version, which undoubtedly explains the similarity.
The "Chap," available for pre-order on stevemadden.com, is described as a "haute [bootie]" and is currently selling for $150; Louboutin's "Emily" is also pre-order for $925. In a strange twist, the Steve Madden heels claim to be only 4.25" compared to Louboutin's 5.5" boots, yet they appear to have the same height in the pictures.
What am I getting at? Read the title: Essentially, buying the lower-priced item isn't the safest thing to do. I'm not trying to convince anyone to shell out nearly $1,000 for a pair of shoes, but I certainly wouldn't recommend buying the Steve Madden heels as an alternative. Because the original boots haven't been released yet, there's no telling how the quality of Steve Madden's will be; they don't have a pair to construct theirs from.
There's a strong difference between "inspired by" and "knockoff" shoes. Shoes that have been inspired by other designers aren't replicas, they're similar. Often times they come in a different variety of colors in order to set themselves apart from the originals. Knockoff shoes - much like knockoff bags - are as close to the real thing as you can get. These Steve Madden shoes are obviously the latter.
What are your feelings on this issue? Are you for or against "smaller" designers, such as Steve Madden, creating carbon copies of "major" designer shoes, such as the Christian Louboutin boots?
Though many brands (namely Oh Deer! and Nine West) are inspired by Louboutin's designs, Steve Madden has taken it to the next level, releasing their version of the "Emily" boot mere days after Louboutin's were first seen at the RM by Roland Mouret runway show. That's not the worst part, however: Steve Madden's website used the actual photo of Christian Louboutin's boots to show their version, which undoubtedly explains the similarity.
The "Chap," available for pre-order on stevemadden.com, is described as a "haute [bootie]" and is currently selling for $150; Louboutin's "Emily" is also pre-order for $925. In a strange twist, the Steve Madden heels claim to be only 4.25" compared to Louboutin's 5.5" boots, yet they appear to have the same height in the pictures.
What am I getting at? Read the title: Essentially, buying the lower-priced item isn't the safest thing to do. I'm not trying to convince anyone to shell out nearly $1,000 for a pair of shoes, but I certainly wouldn't recommend buying the Steve Madden heels as an alternative. Because the original boots haven't been released yet, there's no telling how the quality of Steve Madden's will be; they don't have a pair to construct theirs from.
There's a strong difference between "inspired by" and "knockoff" shoes. Shoes that have been inspired by other designers aren't replicas, they're similar. Often times they come in a different variety of colors in order to set themselves apart from the originals. Knockoff shoes - much like knockoff bags - are as close to the real thing as you can get. These Steve Madden shoes are obviously the latter.
What are your feelings on this issue? Are you for or against "smaller" designers, such as Steve Madden, creating carbon copies of "major" designer shoes, such as the Christian Louboutin boots?
4 comments:
how can you be so sure he's taken the very picture?
I'm wondering how he can get away with making such a carbon copy of the original shoe. Whether he used the same photo or not he seems to have crossed the line here.
i would think steve madden has been in the business long enough to know that a copy that close is going to cause a stir. although think of last year how much the patent leather louboutin's have been knocked off.
I've noticed Steve Madden do this to Louboutin before too, with another pair or booties last season. The only difference from afar was the sole. How pathetic; anything he comes up with on his own is dreadful, from what I've seen.
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