Much like the phenomenon of the “it” bag, there are shoes that now and then achieve the status of being a celebrity favorite. In 2010 one of these styles was the “Coussin” caged ankle booties by red-sole shoe-master Christian Louboutin.
The caged boot was a common sight on spring shoe racks in 2010. Coussin was Christian Louboutin’s high end version of a caged bootie, replete with what look like leather laces allowing the style to look both strong and feminine. Lastly, the Coussin featured a 1.5-inch platform, which added support for the 5-inch stacked heel.
Coussin was a big celebrity favorite in 2010 and 2011, being seen most often on well-paid actresses, musicians, and other female celebs. Movie star Gwyneth Paltrow was spotted wearing the shoes to an art opening in New York City.
The booties were also spotted on the red carpet and at other high-profile events on the feet of Elle McPherson, Kim Kardashian, and Blake Lively. Singer Latoya Luckett was seen out and about wearing a rare red pair.
Back in 2010, the shoe was the meeting of various spring trends in one. The first trend was are a high-heeled pump whose ankle height falls in that mid-point between boot and shoe – hence the term “bootie.” Booties were everywhere back in early 2010s.
The second style was the peep-toe heel. Once again these were much more common in the early 2010s than now, and there was even – hard as it is now to believe – a huge trend for peep-toe boots. And while the Coussin wasn’t actually peep-toed, it certainly allowed the feet to breath with its airy cage construction.
Finally, with a 5 inch heel Coussin was a product of its time – such heels heights are rarer in modern times and had dropped within only a few short years.
While it was magnificent in its time, the Coussin boot is no longer available for purchase. Back in 2010 it was available for a hefty price tag of almost $1,600 and came in colors including black, tan and beige.