At 5’4″ (162.6 cm) with a US women’s shoe size 8, Normani Kordei Hamilton has built a red-carpet shoe wardrobe around statement heels—from spiked Thom Solo pumps during her Fifth Harmony years to barely-there sandals as a solo artist. At the MTV Video Music Awards on August 26, 2019, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, she paired a cutout Nicolas Jebran gown with red Christian Louboutin Forever KST sandals.
Normani has described herself as 5’4″ in both social media posts and interviews, and her footwear choices have ranged from embellished ankle-strap heels on Fifth Harmony’s early red carpets to the towering designer stilettos that became a fixture of her solo-era style.
Normani flaunted her long legs on the red carpet at the 2019 MTV VMAs at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on August 26, 2019 (Credit: WENN)
The appearance came during a major solo moment for Normani. She performed “Motivation” during the ceremony and earned a Best RB nomination for “Waves,” while her red-carpet look put equal emphasis on the Nicolas Jebran dress and the barely-there heels beneath it.
The colorful cutout gown came from the Nicolas Jebran Fall 2019 collection, with sweeping draping, an exposed midriff, and a high slit that kept her shoes fully visible. She finished the look with a coiled snake ring from Stefere Limited Jewelry.
Normani revealed her belly button in a cutout dress from Nicolas Jebran
The high slit also offered a clear view of Normani’s red satin Christian Louboutin Forever KST sandals. Originally priced at $1,845, the statement heels feature slim straps embellished with crystal spikes and a 100mm (approximately 3.9-inch) stiletto heel.
The open construction and narrow ankle strap keep the shoes visually light despite the substantial heel. It’s a silhouette Normani continued to favor on later red carpets, including when she stepped out in Jessica Rich’s transparent Love pumps later that year.
Normani shows off her glossy white pedicure in red satin Christian Louboutin Forever KST sandals, detailed with crystal-spiked straps and slim stiletto heels
Normani’s Jimmy Choo Dochas Sandals at The Lion King Premiere
The Louboutin stilettos weren’t Normani’s only barely-there statement sandals that summer. Several weeks earlier, on July 9, 2019, she attended the Hollywood premiere of The Lion King at the Dolby Theatre, this time choosing metallic Jimmy Choo heels with an intricately embellished Julien Macdonald dress.
Normani Kordei at the premiere of The Lion King at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California, on July 9, 2019 (Credit: WENN)
Normani wore a fully embellished one-shoulder dress from Julien Macdonald’s Spring 2019 collection. Covered in intricate beading and interrupted by asymmetric cutouts, the design left much of the leg exposed, making her metallic sandals an important part of the overall silhouette rather than an afterthought.
Normani pairs her glittering Julien Macdonald cutout gown with metallic Jimmy Choo Dochas sandals
She accessorized with Anita Ko jewelry and metallic Jimmy Choo Dochas sandals—the same strappy style Dua Lipa wore to the 2019 BRIT Awards.
Normani’s one-shoulder Julien Macdonald Spring 2019 gown features intricate metallic beading, sheer panels, and asymmetric waist and thigh cutouts
Against the elaborate Julien Macdonald beadwork, the metallic Dochas added height without competing with the dress.
The minimalist silhouette reflects Jimmy Choo’s long history of barely-there evening shoes, a red-carpet staple even as individual styles come and go.
Normani shows off her neutral pedicure in metallic Jimmy Choo Dochas sandals, featuring barely-there toe straps, slim ankle straps, and stiletto heels
Why Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin Remain Red-Carpet Favorites
Normani’s two looks also highlight why Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin have remained fixtures in celebrity footwear. Jimmy Choo’s barely-there evening sandals tend to complement an elaborate gown rather than compete with it, while Christian Louboutin often takes the opposite approach, turning the shoe itself into a statement through dramatic stilettos, embellishment, and the house’s unmistakable red sole.
The difference is easy to see here. Normani’s metallic Jimmy Choo Dochas sandals quietly echo the shimmer of her Julien Macdonald gown, while her red satin Christian Louboutin Forever KST heels demand more attention with crystal-spiked straps and a sharply defined stiletto. Both deliver red-carpet glamour, but with distinctly different personalities.
For more examples of how celebrities have worn these two approaches, these YNS shoe moments range from the exact Jimmy Choo Dochas sandals to some of Christian Louboutin’s most recognizable embellished and spiked designs.
👠 Explore More Crystal-Trimmed Spiked Red-Carpet Heels:
- ✨ Hailee Steinfeld’s Jimmy Choo Dochas sandals brought a delicate finish to her shimmering Prada slip dress at the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
- 💎 Dua Lipa wore the same Jimmy Choo Dochas sandals in ballet pink with jewel-trimmed straps for the 2019 BRIT Awards.
- 🖤 Lily Collins stepped out in crystal-edged black sandals while filming Emily in Paris, a sparkling style compared with Jimmy Choo’s Dochas and Dudette designs.
- 🔥 Rihanna, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Laetitia Casta embraced Christian Louboutin’s Lady Max Spike sandals, pairing the label’s signature red soles with Swarovski studs and sharp metallic embellishment.
- ⚡ Blake Lively’s Christian Louboutin Miziggoo sandals offered another take on the house’s spiked evening heel, with glossy straps, gold-toned pyramid studs, and the unmistakable red sole.
- 🌟 Christian Louboutin’s Atonana sandals became another celebrity favorite, combining slim laddered straps with metallic ball studs and a soaring stiletto heel.