Katy Perry really loves her shoes.
On Wednesday night, Perry posed for photographers at the Billboard Women in Music 2024 event in Inglewood, Calif., parting her skirt so their cameras could capture her towering Vivienne Westwood pumps. The black, chunky heels feature an almost sculptural heel silhouette, marking them distinctly as one of Westwood’s most iconic shoe designs.
The styles were the Vivienne Westwood Super Elevated Court pumps, first seen on the Vivienne Westwood fall 1993 runway. They measure 8.25 inches tall. An earlier, lower version of the Court pumps was first created by the brand in 1991.
Perry wore the shoes in an embossed mock-crocodile print according to Pechuga Vintage, the buzzy Los Angeles vintage dealer that confirmed the details on Instagram.
Styled by Tatiana Waterford, the singer paired the shoes with a red Ellie Misner Boleyn two-piece from the London-based designer’s “Demi Couture” 2024 collection. The back of that look’s skirt and corset laced up, revealing Perry’s thong beneath it as well as a butterfly Perry had applied to her lower back by Hugo Villasenor, a visual effects and prosthetics artist.
A businesswoman with a footwear collection of her own — Perry bought Katy Perry Collections in 2021 following the bankruptcy filing of Global Brands Group, her then co-owner, — the singer’s personal style when it comes to shoes is eclectic. Recently she’s worn everything from sandals with a wristwatch as the heel from her own collection to peach-colored pointy stilettos onstage at the Upfront Summit.
Billboard Women in Music is an annual event that recognizes music’s rising artists, creators, producers and executives. The night awards a variety of titles including Woman of the Year. This year, the red carpet hosted Karol G, Ellie Goulding and more.
About the Shoes
The Vivienne Westwood Super Elevated Court pumps came from Pechuga Vintage. They are an iconic style from the “Anglomania” collection. Handmade in England, the mock-croc embossed shoes stand 8.25″ high and were first seen on the Vivienne Westwood fall 1993 runway. The shoe is synonymous with the brand. Pechuga has the Court pumps listed for purchase, valued at $15,000. Recess LA has a suede pair listed at $3,900.
Platform Pumps: A History of Heights
Platform pumps feature an elevated sole and typically a high heel 4 inches or higher. The Elevated Court pumps aren’t the only famed style from Westwood. In the same “Anglomania” collection, Westwood debuted the Super Elevated Ghillie style. Taller than the Court pumps, the Ghillie led to a well-known fall by Naomi Campbell in the 1993 runway show.
The platformed construction helps compensate for the height of the heel, allowing for more height than a traditional pump without any added discomfort. In fact, if comfort is a concern, some experts recommend that you maintain a heel high of no more than 3 inches by subtracting the height of the platform from the heel. For instance, if you’re wearing a 3.75-inch heel, your platform should be .75 inches.
Vivienne Westwood: A Designer’s Legacy
Dame Vivienne Westwood died in December 2022, showing her last collection via lookbook in September 2022 for the spring 2023 season. Now run by the late designer’s partner Andreas Kronthaler, Westwood has re-released the Ghillie boot as the design is currently trending. At 6.5 inches high, the style was included in the fall 2023 collection. It remains available for purchase for $1,215. The shoes also inspired Marc Jacobs in recent collections as his Kiki boots borrow from the same silhouette.
