Across a month of premieres, photocalls and talk shows, the same Christian Louboutin Chelsea boot keeps turning up. It was originally designed for Brad Pitt.
Few actors of his generation are as in demand right now as Tom Holland. Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” in which he plays Telemachus, is currently filling IMAX screens, and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” arrives in cinemas on 29 July, which will almost certainly put him back at the top of the box office.
A schedule like that comes with a punishing amount of standing around: premieres, press days, red carpets, talk shows, plus date nights with Zendaya. What it requires, practically speaking, is one shoe that can handle all of it. Holland appears to have settled the question. Inside a single month he has been photographed in the same model at more than a dozen public appearances, and the count keeps climbing.
The boot in question
The shoe is the Samson by Christian Louboutin, €1,100. It is a Chelsea boot in soft calfskin with a slim silhouette, a slightly rounded toe and a narrow shaft that sits close to the ankle. No laces, so it goes on in seconds. And as a self-declared Short King, Holland presumably has time for the discreet block heel and the couple of centimetres it quietly contributes.
His commitment to it is a matter of public record. He has worn the Samson in black, brown and burgundy across premieres, press events and television appearances. One day it is styled down with light blue jeans and a Saint Laurent track jacket, the next it is under a tailored pinstripe suit by Gieves & Hawkes. It has also been paired with a leather jacket, and it holds its own beneath a Spider-Man-red blazer, which is the sort of test most footwear fails.
In brown, it does something warmer and softer to a look, which is largely why it slots into so many different outfits without argument.
Why this particular Louboutin
The Samson has been a fixture in the Louboutin catalogue for years. It was originally designed for Brad Pitt and released in 2018, and it represents the house at its most restrained: clean shape, smooth leather, red sole.
That puts it at some distance from the more experimental work creative director Jaden Smith has been putting out lately, which has run chunkier, fluffier and occasionally deliberately absurd. The Samson is the other side of the brand, the version built for wearing rather than for looking at.
The broader case for Chelsea boots
Holland’s fixation is a decent reminder of why this style has held its place in menswear for decades. It works nearly all year, requires no laces, and goes with almost anything. It reads sharp without ever tipping into costume, which is precisely the register a press tour demands.
His stylist Crystalle Cox described the process to British GQ as an enjoyable one, saying it has been fun letting him experiment and find looks he feels comfortable and cool in. The Samson does both jobs at once: presentable enough for a red carpet, comfortable enough that taking it off feels like a downgrade.
If €1,100 is a stretch
The Samson’s combination of longevity and versatility is priced accordingly. For a similar shape at a fraction of the outlay, Massimo Dutti’s flat leather Chelsea boot is €190, and MYRQVIST’s Granhult sits at €379.
