Have you ever noticed that Louis XIV is nearly always captured in portraits donning
talons rouges (red heels)? Red was a privilege extended only to high ranking members of the court. In
Love and Louis XIV, Antonia Fraser suggests that this was because"...they were always ready to crush the enemies of the state at their feet." Crush them like they crushed the rare cochineal beetle to extract the precious dye, I suppose?
Other high ranking men in Louis' court wore shoes with miniature scenes painted on them— either rustic and romantic scenes, or battle scenes, depending on the source. Louboutin already has red covered, too common. If Louis were alive today, I'm sure he'd trade out those
talons rouges for something more dramatic, with more pomp and circumstance.
These were made with canvas, cut and glued to the wedges of these (formerly
ruff-bedecked) heels and then painted with a scene inspired by old verdure tapestries. As you know, I worship my triumvirate of G's (grit/grime/gilding). I didn't quite capture it, but there is a fair amount of gilding in the painted part of the shoe. Has it gone too far?! In any case, I'm fairly certain I'll be able to play camouflage in
this room, quite successfully.
The explosive bow harness is cellophane, what else? I bet Louis would have
loved cellophane, had it been around...
Shoes styled, painted, and photographed by (IN)DECOROUS TASTE.
