At the 2014 Teen Choice Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Lea Michele embraced the bold, body-conscious red-carpet styling that defined the era. Joining fellow attendees, including Kendall Jenner, Selena Gomez, Zendaya, and Bella Thorne, the actress paired a graphic Fausto Puglisi mini dress with strappy Christian Louboutin “Athena” sandals, which immediately became the focal point of the look.
Being petite at approximately 5ft 2 (157.5 cm), Lea Michele often gravitates toward sharply cut mini dresses and leg-lengthening heels on the red carpet, and this combination played directly into that styling formula.
The nude-and-metallic T-bar sandals softened the dress’s strong color-blocking while drawing attention to her foot tattoos and pedicure.
Lea Michele playfully posed for photographers while showcasing her softly layered brunette hair and dramatic smoky eye makeup at the 2014 Teen Choice Awards in Los Angeles on August 10, 2014 (Credit: FayesVision / WENN / Nikki Nelson)
Lea wore a Fausto Puglisi Fall 2014 mini dress featuring asymmetrical color-block panels, styling it with Christian Louboutin “Athena” T-bar sandals and delicate Anita Ko jewelry.
The sharp geometric lines of the dress contrasted with the barely-there structure of the heels, a styling approach that was especially popular on mid-2010s red carpets.
The actress balanced the sharp geometric lines of her Fausto Puglisi mini dress with metallic Christian Louboutin “Athena” sandals that elongated her petite frame
While many fashion commentators praised the dress’s dramatic silhouette and color placement, the towering Christian Louboutin sandals divided opinion because of their ultra-minimal straps and towering stiletto heels, which prominently showcased Lea’s foot tattoos.
A close-up of Lea Michele’s mirrored Christian Louboutin T-bar sandals highlighted her pastel pedicure, delicate foot tattoos, and the shoe’s ultra-minimal strap design
More than a decade later, the look still feels closely tied to the high-glam, body-conscious styling trends that dominated celebrity fashion in the early 2010s. We’ve previously spotted the same sandals on Naomie Harris, Kate Winslet, and Eva Longoria.
More Strappy Christian Louboutin Sandals on the Red Carpet
Before closing the look, Lea Michele’s metallic “Athena” sandals are worth placing within a larger red-carpet pattern: throughout the 2010s, Christian Louboutin’s barely-there evening heels became a go-to choice for celebrities who wanted height, shine, and a delicate ankle-framing finish without distracting from the dress.
👠 Explore Strappy Christian Louboutin Sandal Moments:
- ✨ Naomie Harris styled metallic Christian Louboutin “Athena” sandals with a shimmering Naeem Khan dress, leaning into the same barely-there T-strap silhouette seen on Lea Michele.
- 🇮🇹 Eva Longoria brought the “Athena” sandals to the Taormina Film Festival, pairing the sleek red-soled heels with a black Dsquared² leather dress softened by feminine bow detailing.
- 💙 Kate Winslet’s cobalt Stella McCartney premiere look was elevated by metallic Christian Louboutin “Athena Alta” sandals that echoed the same sharp, leg-lengthening proportions.
- 📏 Standing at 5’6″ (167.6 cm) with a US shoe size 11, Kate Winslet frequently relies on sculptural Christian Louboutin heels to sharpen classic red-carpet silhouettes.
- ✨ Shailene Woodley embraced dramatic embellished Louboutin sandals with a Balmain gown, showing how the brand’s strappy evening heels became a defining red-carpet trend of the 2010s.