Zendaya's stylist Law Roach said he had to train the actor to walk in “painful” Louboutin heels.
As the 27-year-old actress has committed to “method dressing” fully while promoting. Dune: Part Two and Challengers, She has always worn the Christian Louboutin So Kate 120 shoe with most of her outfits. Red heels have been a mainstay in the Emmy winner's wardrobe for years.
In a recent episode of Recho Omondi's podcast The cutting room floor, Roach revealed why the Euphoria star prefers to wear the iconic footwear brand. He began his story by saying, “I think the So Kate is one of the most versatile shoes. It is also one of the most painful.”
“It actually started when she was 14 and I remember she had these So Kates on all day,” he continued. “It's the first time she's used them and she was collapsing. And she says, 'I have to take off these shoes.' I said, 'You're not taking these shoes off.' And she left them on, and the next day she put them back on, and the next day she put them back on.”
By sticking with heels, the actor finally learned to love them.
“It became our thing,” Roach admitted. “And now, his feet are somewhat trained. “You could wear them all day, you could dance in them, you could lift your legs, you can run down stairs.”
When asked if the reason she wore heels was because of an endorsement with Christian Louboutin, Roach was quick to refute any rumors or speculation.
“People always ask this: we don't receive anything monetary from Christian Louboutin,” he explained. “They have never written us a check. “It’s always been a really authentic, organic relationship where she loves shoes.”
If anything, though, there's been a symbiotic relationship between the actor and the brand, with the latter sending him around 40 pairs of heels for her. Challengers press tour.
“Now, they just sent me 40 pairs for the Challengers press tour? They did it,” Roach said. “But there's never… there's never been any kind of pay-for-play, any kind of sponsorship, anything. In fact, I became good friends with Christian through that and I know his team all over the world. And if we need one in a difficult situation, they will call the store and do whatever it takes to get her the shoe, because it has become synonymous with her.”
Roach added that the main reason the actor has gravitated towards the iconic heels has been simply because she likes them. He added: “[They’re] just great with everything.”
Elsewhere in the podcast episode, the stylist revealed that there were several big-name brands that refused to send Zendaya clothes when she first arrived in Hollywood.
“I would write [to] Saint Laurent, Chanel, Gucci, Valentino, Dior and they were all saying, 'No, try again next year. She's too green. She's not on our calendar,'” Roach recalled. “I still have all the receipts. “I still have everything.”
Even though the Disney Channel alum had landed her first American movie Fashion cover in 2017, none of those five major labels had worked with her. Roach admitted that it wasn't until she landed a contract with Valentino in 2020 that she started wearing her designs.
