Heritage
Story
Christian Louboutin opened his first boutique in 1991, in the Galerie Véro-Dodat in Paris. The red sole came a year later, and the house tells it as a happy accident: a prototype of a pump called Pensée came back from the factory looking unfinished to him, an assistant was painting her nails red nearby, and he took the polish to the sole. Kate followed in 2012, named after Kate Moss. So Kate, the 120 mm version on this page, arrived in autumn 2013, and the brand says it has made more than 200 versions of it since. The red sole has also been argued in court. In June 2018 the EU Court of Justice ruled that a colour applied to the sole of a high-heeled shoe is not a sign made up exclusively of a shape, which removed the main objection to Louboutin's trademark in the case.
Design details
This is the black patent calf leather So Kate, reference 3130694BK01, on a 120 mm stiletto. The brand lists it as made in Italy, where it is stitched, mounted and finished. The trademark at stake in the 2018 case describes the red as Pantone 18-1663TP.
Sources: Christian Louboutin: La Maison; Christian Louboutin: The red sole; Christian Louboutin: Kate; Christian Louboutin AU: So Kate; Christian Louboutin US: So Kate 120, read 22 Oct 2026; CJEU, Case C-163/16, 12 Jun 2018. Published by the LuxuryPriceIndex editorial team.
Quick facts
At a glance
Black patent calf leather, 120 mm stiletto heel, red sole. Made in Italy.
References: Christian Louboutin: Kate; Christian Louboutin US: So Kate 120
4.6% a year over 4 years. That ranks 25th of 45 items with at least two years of data. The sharpest sourced step was +11.8%, from $845 to $945 by Jan 2026. There were stretches with no change at all, so the rise came in bursts, not a steady drift.
Price around the world
Christian Louboutin So Kate 120 price by country
Official prices in 13 markets, converted to your currency and sorted from lowest to highest.
Shown for the United States. Prices update to your country when we can detect it.
| Country | Price in USD | vs United States | Tax & source |
|---|---|---|---|
| FranceLowest | $836€745 local | −11.5% | Incl. 20% VAT. Non-EU visitors can reclaim part of it. Visitors: est. $711–753 after refund.eu.christianlouboutin.comOfficial · 22 Oct 2026 |
| Germany | $836€745 local | −11.5% | Incl. 19% VAT. Non-EU visitors can reclaim part of it. Visitors: est. $711–753 after refund.eu.christianlouboutin.comOfficial · 22 Oct 2026 |
| Italy | $836€745 local | −11.5% | Incl. 22% VAT. Non-EU visitors can reclaim part of it. Visitors: est. $711–753 after refund.eu.christianlouboutin.comOfficial · 22 Oct 2026 |
| Spain | $836€745 local | −11.5% | Incl. 21% VAT. Non-EU visitors can reclaim part of it. Visitors: est. $711–753 after refund.eu.christianlouboutin.comOfficial · 22 Oct 2026 |
| Portugal | $836€745 local | −11.5% | Incl. 23% VAT. Non-EU visitors can reclaim part of it. Visitors: est. $711–753 after refund.eu.christianlouboutin.comOfficial · 22 Oct 2026 |
| Switzerland | $891CHF 735 local | −5.7% | Incl. 8.1% VAT. Visitors can reclaim part of it. Visitors: est. $837–855 after refund.eu.christianlouboutin.comOfficial · 22 Oct 2026 |
| Japan | $904¥143,000 local | −4.4% | Incl. 10% consumption tax. Tax-free for visitors. Visitors: est. $822 after refund.jp.christianlouboutin.comOfficial · 22 Oct 2026 |
| United StatesYou | $945 | — | Before state sales tax (0–10.25%).us.christianlouboutin.comOfficial · 22 Oct 2026 |
| United Kingdom | $966£725 local | +2.3% | Incl. 20% VAT. No tax-free shopping for visitors since 2021.eu.christianlouboutin.comOfficial · 22 Oct 2026 |
| United Arab Emirates | $967AED 3,550 local | +2.3% | Incl. 5% VAT. Tourist refund scheme may apply.ae.christianlouboutin.comOfficial · 22 Oct 2026 |
| Australia | $1,065A$1,525 local | +12.7% | Incl. 10% GST. Tourist Refund Scheme may apply.apac.christianlouboutin.comOfficial · 22 Oct 2026 |
| Hong Kong | $1,083HK$8,500 local | +14.6% | No sales tax or VAT.apac.christianlouboutin.comOfficial · 22 Oct 2026 |
| Singapore | $1,134SGD 1,450 local | +20.0% | Incl. 9% GST. Tourist refund scheme may apply.apac.christianlouboutin.comOfficial · 22 Oct 2026 |
Shelf prices as published on each brand's country website (tracker figures are labelled), on the date shown. Converted at ECB reference rates of 19 Oct 2026; AED via the ECB dollar rate and the 3.6725 dirham peg. Sorted by shelf price, not by estimated tourist price. Visitor estimates follow our methodology. Not a quote: your card rate and local rules decide the final cost.
Retail price, 2022 to 2026
Step chart. The line holds flat until the next sourced change; we plot only dated, sourced prices and never fill gaps. Hover or tap a point for detail. Sources: web.archive.org, us.christianlouboutin.com.
Every sourced price
| Date | Price (USD) | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | $945 | 0.0% | us.christianlouboutin.comOfficialchristianlouboutin.com US, read 22 Oct 2026 |
| Jan 2026 | $945 | +11.8% | web.archive.orgOfficialArchived christianlouboutin.com US product page, captured 2026-01-31 |
| Oct 2025 | $845 | 0.0% | web.archive.orgOfficialArchived christianlouboutin.com US product page, captured 2025-10-02 |
| Jun 2025 | $845 | +6.3% | web.archive.orgOfficialArchived christianlouboutin.com US product page, captured 2025-06-19 |
| Mar 2025 | $795 | 0.0% | web.archive.orgOfficialArchived christianlouboutin.com US product page, captured 2025-03-03 |
| Jan 2023 | $795 | +2.6% | web.archive.orgOfficialArchived christianlouboutin.com US product page, captured 2023-01-30 |
| May 2022 | $775 | web.archive.orgOfficialArchived christianlouboutin.com US product page, captured 2022-05-21 |
Related
Questions
How much is the Christian Louboutin So Kate 120 (black patent calf leather, ref. 3130694BK01) now?
The latest sourced US list price is $945 (Oct 2026), per us.christianlouboutin.com.
How much has the Christian Louboutin So Kate 120 (black patent calf leather, ref. 3130694BK01) price increased?
From $775 in May 2022 to $945 in Oct 2026: +22% (about 4.6% a year), based on the sourced data points below.
Why are Christian Louboutin soles red?
By the house's own account it started in 1992 with a prototype of the Pensée pump. Louboutin felt the shoe lacked energy, saw an assistant painting her nails red and painted the sole with her polish. The red sole has been the brand's signature since.
How high is the So Kate heel?
The So Kate on this page has a 120 mm heel, which is in its official name, So Kate 120 mm. The Kate, launched in 2012, is the earlier model it grew out of.
Is the So Kate cheaper in Europe?
On the shelf, yes. Read on 22 Oct 2026, the euro-area stores (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal) list it at €745. The US list price of $945 is about €842 at ECB rates of 19 Oct 2026, before sales tax, and Singapore is the highest we read at S$1,450, about €1,010. A visitor from outside the EU can also claim back part of the VAT, which our calculator estimates.
When was the Christian Louboutin So Kate 120 launched?
Our sourced launch note: Autumn 2013 (So Kate); the Kate dates from 2012. Designer attribution (as sourced): Christian Louboutin.
Where do these prices come from?
Every figure on this page is a dated public source we store in prices.json — boutique or brand list prices, not estimates. We do not invent or interpolate missing years. See the source column in the table below and /methodology/. LuxuryPriceIndex does not sell the item; authorised purchase is through Official brand retailers.
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Data checked 2026-10-20. Found an error? The methodology explains how we source and correct.