Christian Louboutin collaborates with Sabrina and Idris Elba

Luxury footwear designer Christian Louboutin is teaming up with actor Idris Elba and his model wife Sabrina Elba on a capsule shoe collection to raise money and awareness on systemic injustice and racism.

The ‘Walk a Mile in My Shoes’ collection was born from a sincere friendship, explains the footwear designer in a statement, and 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to five non-profit organisations across three continents dedicated to creating greater equity in communities of colour.

Christian Louboutin, Idris and Sabrina Elba state that their friendship is one of “laughter, joy and mutual respect” built on “solidarity and shared values” and that they are hoping they can use their positions to champion organisations fighting for justice, equality and freedom.

The charities set to receive funds from the shoe collection include Purposeful, an organisation close to Idris Elba’s heart and rooted in his Sierra Leonean heritage that provides mentorship for girls, as well as the Immediate Theatre in East London, where the actor is patronage.

‘Walk A Mile In My Shoes’ will also support the Somali Hope Foundation, which provides access to education for underprivileged children and was chosen to celebrate Sabrina Elba’s roots, while Gathering For Justice, which focuses on ending child incarceration is an organisation close to Louboutin’s heart. The final charity is the Be Rose Foundation that supports vulnerable people in need of emergency assistance and empowers widows to care for their families through agribusiness.

Actor Idris Elba and model wife Sabrina team up with Christian Louboutin

The co-created capsule includes men’s and women’s shoes, trainers and accessories is a two-chapter collection featuring two design motifs.

The first features a print designed by the trio showcasing the Strelitzia reginae plant ‘Mandela’s Gold’ a symbol of empathy, hope and freedom.

The second chapter sees house classics reimagined with the powerful statement ‘Walk A Mile in My Shoes’. This line appears in a script motif evocative in Louboutin red. It originates from a visit Idris paid to the Martin Luther King Jr memorial in Los Angeles. The phrase aims to be a call to action to support the victims of police brutality and racial injustice in the United States, small farmers and their children in Somalia, disconnected underserved youth in England and orphaned children and young girls in Sierra Leone.

“We wanted to create a collection that would encourage empathy and action. To be clear, the message isn’t intended to be interpreted literally,” said the trio on the brand’s website. “Instead, take a moment to consider the experiences of those who are made to feel different, often due to circumstances beyond their control.”

All styles incorporate the signatures of Christian Louboutin and the Elbas.

The footwear brand said that all proceeds from the ‘Walk a Mile in My Shoes’ collection will be directed to administrative partner, GlobalGiving, a non-profit that supports other non-profits by connecting them to donors and companies, for distribution to all five charities.

The ‘Walk a Mile in My Shoes’ collection launches on June 16 and is available at Christian Louboutin Mount Street London, Selfridges London and online.