Why Taylor Swift’s Crystal Louboutin VMAs Boots Are Still the Ultimate Red Carpet Masterclass

At the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards on August 26, 2019, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Taylor Swift stepped onto the red carpet in a custom Atelier Versace blazer dress and black crystal-studded Christian Louboutin ‘Elouix’ thigh-high boots.

Standing 5 feet 9¼ inches (175.9 cm), Swift already has the height to carry an over-the-knee silhouette, but the close-fitting Louboutin boots exaggerated the long line created by Versace’s thigh-grazing hem.

The colorful outfit also recalled the Versace ensemble she had worn to the 2019 Teen Choice Awards just over two weeks earlier. This time, however, switching from multicolored Kat Maconie sandals to black thigh-high boots gave the similarly bright look a darker, more streamlined finish.

Taylor Swift pairs a crystal-covered custom Atelier Versace blazer dress with black Christian Louboutin Elouix thigh-high boots at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards on August 26, 2019 (Credit: Ivan Nikolov / WENN)

Swift’s custom Atelier Versace look centered on a structured, thigh-grazing blazer covered in the house’s colorful medallion and baroque-style motifs. Multicolored crystals amplified the print, while strong shoulders gave the mini-dress a sharper silhouette.

Underneath, she wore a hot-pink, crystal-studded bodysuit with Versace’s reverse sweetheart neckline, letting the vivid pink layer peek through beneath the open blazer.

Swift’s multicolored Atelier Versace blazer frames a hot-pink crystal bodysuit, with green statement earrings and a red-orange lip adding to the vivid palette

The biggest change from her Teen Choice Awards outfit was on her feet. Swift traded open sandals for Christian Louboutin’s ‘Elouix’ thigh-high boots, a close-fitting black style covered in dark crystals and finished with the designer’s unmistakable red soles.

Christian Louboutin was hardly new territory for Swift. Earlier in 2019, she had already paired a black Atelier Versace gown with Christian Louboutin ‘514’ sandals at the InStyle and Warner Bros. Golden Globes after-party, making Versace and Louboutin a combination she had returned to before arriving at the VMAs. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Christian Louboutin Elouix boots bring black crystals, pointed toes, towering stiletto heels, and flashes of the designer’s signature red soles to Swift’s VMAs look

The boots were especially effective with the blazer’s ultrashort hemline. Their uninterrupted black shaft continued almost to the hem, visually lengthening Swift’s legs while giving the eye somewhere to rest against the dense mix of pink, green, gold, and crystal embellishment above.

That contrast is what kept the footwear from disappearing into an already sparkly outfit. Rather than introducing another bright color, the black crystals echoed the shine of the Versace blazer while adding definition to the overall look.

Swift would return to a similar mini-dress-and-tall-boots formula only a few months later. At the 2019 American Music Awards, she paired a sparkling green Julien Macdonald mini dress with Casadei ‘Techno Blade’ over-the-knee sock boots, another close-fitting style that extended the line of a short hem rather than breaking it with an ankle strap or exposed lower leg. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

From the side, Swift’s thigh-high Louboutin boots create an almost continuous line from the ultrashort Versace hem to their sharply pointed toes

Swift kept the rest of the styling colorful with green Lorraine Schwartz hoop earrings and an Infinity-Gauntlet-inspired stack of rings. Tousled blonde waves, winged liner, and a red-orange lip completed the look without competing with the crystal-covered clothing and boots.

The Elouix also fits into a broader pattern in Swift’s shoe wardrobe. YNS has documented her in everything from Christian Louboutin pumps and booties to platform sandals and over-the-knee boots, with tall, leg-hugging silhouettes becoming an especially useful counterpart to her mini dresses and skirts.

At the 2019 VMAs, however, the Elouix boots did more than add height. The black suede-like finish gave the kaleidoscopic Versace outfit a strong base, while the crystals carried its surface treatment from blazer to footwear.

And whenever Swift turned on the red carpet, the flash of Christian Louboutin’s red soles provided one final contrast beneath all that black sparkle.

Christian Louboutin Elouix stretch thigh-high boots feature a streamlined black upper, pointed toe, slender stiletto heel, and signature red sole

Why Christian Louboutin Thigh-High Boots Keep Returning to the Red Carpet

Taylor Swift’s crystal-covered Elouix boots belong to a much longer Christian Louboutin tradition. The designer has repeatedly taken boots above the knee, combining close-fitting shafts with pointed toes and high heels to create an elongated line rather than treating the shoe as a separate accessory.

That effect is particularly pronounced with thigh-high boots. The shaft can run almost uninterrupted from toe to hem, while Louboutin’s lacquered red sole provides an unmistakable flash of color when the wearer walks or turns.

The examples show how much can change within the same basic silhouette. Suede can make a thigh-high boot look streamlined, lace introduces transparency, and crystals or patent leather turn the boot itself into the focal point. What remains consistent is the long vertical line created by a shaft that reaches above the knee.

That is what made Swift’s Elouix boots so effective with her Versace mini. Their fitted black shafts gave the eye a break from the blazer’s dense mix of color and embellishment, while the black crystals carried its sparkle below the hem. When Swift turned, the red soles added one final contrast.

From the Elouix to Today’s Louboutin Over-the-Knee Boots

The Elouix belongs to an earlier Christian Louboutin collection, but the house has kept revisiting the tall, close-fitting boot. As of September 2026, Mytheresa’s selection includes the Loo 85 leather and Zeetozee mesh-paneled over-the-knee boots for $2,995, the Miss Z 100 suede over-the-knee boots for $2,895, and the Circus Max Botta Alta 100 for $3,295.

The silhouette is not confined to black. Mytheresa also lists the Miss Z 100 in red suede and the Kate Botta Alta 100 in denim, showing how Louboutin continues to reinterpret the over-the-knee shape through different colors, materials, and heel heights.

A visual comparison of Christian Louboutin thigh-high and over-the-knee boots showing how the signature tall silhouette changes across leather, sheer mesh panels, black suede, cutout detailing, red suede, and blue denim, with the brand’s red soles visible across the designs

Nordstrom’s September 2026 selection likewise includes tall Louboutin styles from the Miss Z, Fannylove, Zependris, So Kate, Jane, and Loo Botta families, alongside the house’s ankle boots and other shorter silhouettes.

The names and materials change from season to season, but the principle behind Swift’s Elouix remains recognizable: a sharply defined toe, a high heel, a long shaft that becomes part of the outfit’s silhouette, and a flash of red underneath.