For the past 152 nights performing on the Eras Tour, Taylor Swift's outfits have each come with a pair of gleaming, twinkling, custom Christian Louboutin shoes—more than 250 pairs total, to be exact. Each night, she's sailed through her nearly four-hour set without missing a step. Swift's own talent and willpower are largely what makes those flawless routines possible, but the right shoes have helped her hit her marks even during fan-favorite (and slippery) rain shows. Now, Mr. Louboutin himself is finally explaining how.
In short: It comes down to those signature red bottoms' soles. Speaking with Instyle, Christian Louboutin explained that the painted leather soles on his usual designs are instead replaced with rubber for the Eras Tour. Every single pair Taylor Swift wears—from the combat boots with her new Reputation outfit to her fresh cabaret shoes for The Tortured Poets Department—has this secret, tiny adjustment that makes dancing, even in puddles, that much easier. "We typically incorporate this feature for musicians' tours to withstand the performances night after night," he told the outlet.
Swift's performances come with a few extra demands compared to your other faves' nationwide (or even worldwide) tours. That nearly-four-hour set list I mentioned earlier? It comes with around twelve head-to-toe costume changes, performed up to five nights in a row.
So, Louboutin, Swift's stylist, Joseph Cassell Falconer, and the pop star herself worked closely together to guarantee she could easily swap her Lover knee-high boots with her Fearless pair backstage, or even swap between Tortured Poets shoes mid-set. "Each pair is made to fully to allow for quick changes through the entirety of the show," the designer said. Heels are deliberately low and sturdy, too: "As they are dancing for over three hours, comfort is also extremely important. So we incorporated [a] sturdy block heel and also flats."
Variety and nostalgia are equal parts of the excitement during each Eras Tour show. Taylor Swift had the same outfit for each album made in several different colors. Fans love to guess which one she'll wear before she wears it; Swift has told the crowd she loves when audiences clock her outfit changes. The Louboutin team knew creating extra footwear would keep Swifties engaged through each stop on the record-breaking tour. "Her being on stage for two years all around the world, she needed to sparkle and stand out," Louboutin says. "So for each date, there were new fittings and shoes to surprise her fans."
Christian Louboutin opened up about Taylor Swift's shoe wardrobe on the eve of her final performances in Vancouver, Canada—and new Eras Tour book arriving at Target on Nov. 29. The tome includes Louboutin's original sketches for her Tortured Poets-era boots—based on entirely new designs—as well as hundreds of never-before-seen photos. And, from what I can tell, even more insight into crafting each magical outfit from Swift herself. Long live the Eras Tour's shoe collection.
