Louboutin’s ‘Imran sandals’ has the internet divided

Design house took picture down, soon after the shoe went viral

Luxury French shoemaker, Christian Louboutin, has reinvented the famous Peshawari chappal, entitling his latest design the ‘Imran sandals’.

While it is not clear whether it has been named after Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan because of his fondness for the footwear or after famous painter Imran Qureshi, Louboutin has already received much flak for the creation.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvZaPEygXx9/

Besides the trademark red soles, the sandals feature studs and the Louboutin logo. “Express yourselves in Louboutin Homme’s Imran sandals,” read a post on the fashion label’s Instagram handle Louboutin World.

The designer landed himself in hot waters with many questioning the name of the sandal and other’s deeming his move as “cultural appropriation”.

However, less than 24 hours after the post and show went viral, the picture has been taken down from Instagram and the design house’s official website. No official statement regarding the removal of the post has been issued yet.



The #Imransandals hashtag also started trending on Twitter and while some people were seen trolling the famous brand, others liked the concept. “After ‘Peshawari Chappals’, we now have the ‘Imran sandals’. We looked for statecraft; instead new brands of shoe craft are coming up,” wrote an agitated Twitter user.

His post was in reference to the time British menswear designer, Paul Smith faced trouble when he replicated the traditional Peshawari chappals as his own and sold them in the market for a whopping £300. As a result, the brand changed the shoe's description on its website to "Inspired by Peshawari Chappal".

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