Cazabat copying CL? Or vice versa?

scoobiewu

scoobiewu

Member
Mar 16, 2008
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#1
I am a fan of Jean-Michel Cazabat shoes. His collections are great and carried at Barney's...been shoe-making for over 25 years.

Well I found some super cute yellow Cazabat shoes on ebay...they definitely seem vintage because the inside signature is different from more recent signatures.

As you can see, these Cazabats have red soles, except for the stiletto portion. I don't think the styling is very "louboutin-y", so they don't strike me as rip-offs (like certain "oh deer" varieties out there...).

I am a little bit conflicted here....I think the shoes really cute (i love yellow) and I like the designer! On the other hand, I wouldn't want people to see the soles and think CL, but then notice that it's not on the stiletto and think I'm wearing a copycat.

Can you help me out? What would you think if you saw someone trotting in these?
 

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#4
I have pair of Cazabat shoes, but the sole is light blue.

I think that the yellow shoes you found on ebay are so cute. I would buy them. :tup: Don't worry about the sole being red. Cazabat is a great designer. It is not like they are Oh Deer or Steve Maddens!
 
#5
That's too bad, because I honestly think these were made before CL shoes became wildly popular. Cazabat was never spotlighted in the media for being a CL copycat.

That kinda sucks that we should refrain from buying great shoes because the soles are colored! Wouldn't it be funny if I got them and painted the soles black so no one thought I bought rip-offs? :weird:
 
#6
Don't worry about what other people think. It is a cute shoe and I am sure very well made. Seriously, the only people that would notice are those of us on tPF!
 
#7
I wouldnt accuse Cazabat that fast, both him and Louboutin worked for Charles Jourdan at the same time, the red sole - or colourful soles in general for that matter, could have been a subject of their discussions at the designer table. And if this is indeed a vintage shoe, what if its older than the actual Louboutins?
 
#9
nataliam1976 said:
I wouldnt accuse Cazabat that fast, both him and Louboutin worked for Charles Jourdan at the same time, the red sole - or colourful soles in general for that matter, could have been a subject of their discussions at the designer table. And if this is indeed a vintage shoe, what if its older than the actual Louboutins?
Click to expand...

Wow Natalia, I didn't know they both worked for Charles Jourdan. The thought of this one being pre-Louboutin crossed my mind, but I don't think there is a way to know for sure. But we would all agree that red soles = CL trademark now. He's a lucky guy. :P

well, if anyone from TPF stops me on the street and gives me a hard time about wearing rip-offs, I'll just have to give them a fashion history lesson. :idea:
 
#13
CL wasn't the 1st one to have red sole, but he was the one who made it popular. I like the Cazabat, but if I see someone wearing it without knowing who the maker is, I would think that they're Oh!Deers or some other copy cat. If someone says something awful to you, just give them a shoe history lesson, LOL!
 
#14
Thanks for all the responses! I would still like to hear more opinions.

I actually emailed someone at JMC and got a really fast response! Leslie is a sweetheart! Check it out...

Hello! My name is Jackie Wu and I am a fan of Jean-Michel Cazabat shoes. I recently found this pair of Cazabats on ebay and was surprised to see the red soles! They seem like a vintage pair.

I heard that Cazabat and Louboutin both worked for Charles Jourdan, and that colored soles may have been a discussion topic. I know that Louboutin now has a US and UK patent on the red lacquered sole. I was wondering if this pair was made before Louboutin began his wildy popular style?

Any information would be wonderful; I am so curious on this topic. Thank you!

Hi Jackie,

Wow, you certainly are knowledged about Jean-Michel and Christian!!
Are you in the industry?
Yes, JMC use to do the red soles before Christian and the ones you see on ebay are pre the Louboutin explosion.

Those are really cute pumps in yellow suede are called Vista from our Fall/Winter 2003 Collection.

Thank you for your email and for enjoying Jean-Michel’s shoes!!

Sincerely,

Leslie

Jean-Michel Cazabat Luxury Rebel, LLC

Leslie Riddle
Global Sales Director
115 Wooster Street, Suite 4F
New York, NY 10012
T: 212-431-0487
F: 212-965-5140
C: 917-648-0654
[email protected]


It's a pretty cool tidbit of information. Unfortunately, the bottom line is that any red sole that is not CL will come off as hokey.
 
#15
Oh how interesting!!! I definitely think that you need to buy them now. What a great story. Cazabats are great shoes, and I bet you are getting a bargain. Yellow suede is beautiful!!! If you decide you don't want them, I am sure that someone else on tPF will scoop them up.
 
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