Christian Louboutin traces his fascination with stiletto heels back to a sticker he saw at age 12. In an interview with W Magazine, he tells the story of going to a museum as a child and seeing a posting forbidding high-heeled shoes that would damage the floors of the building. Ever since then, the image of the dramatic pointed shoe was imprinted on his imagination. In turn, he has defined the sharp silhouette of the stiletto in a way that has captivated the fashion world for decades.

Just wearing a Louboutin heel is a power move, but how do you style the rest of your outfit to keep up and make the most of the look? We have some ideas to spark your imagination for these spikes.

1 – Wear with your little black dress

The beauty of the little black dress is in its versatility—it’s the garment you can turn to when you’re not sure what to wear, and you can style it in many directions. It could certainly handle a statement shoe, or even something lower to the ground than a stiletto, but we urge you not to underestimate the timeless combo of the little black dress with the classic black pump.

Then, don’t underestimate the power of that flash of trademark Louboutin red sole when they catch a glimpse of you walking away.

For more, check out this piece Popsugar did a few years ago showing a slideshow of royals from around the world stepping out in confident sophistication in their classic black heels.

2 – Wear with your spring pastels

The other staple shoe to have every woman ought to have in a quality designer version on hand…or foot…is the nude heel. Wearable year-round, we especially love this shoe in spring. Pair it with light colors and airy fabrics. While heels automatically lengthen the look of our legs, some might want to wear this blush tone with a shorter hemline to get even more length for your buck.

3 – Wear with denim

Yes! Whether you want to let the pointy toe peep out from beneath a long flare, or you want to cuff a comfy boyfriend jean, let your stilettos level up your jeans! Of course your classic wardrobe staple heels will work for a look like this, but here we have so much room to play with the artistic flair in so many Louboutins. Get daring!

Check out this slideshow from Refinery 29 for more inspo. 

4 – Wear with your pencil skirt

There’s a definite difference between wearing stilettos with a short hemline and a longer skirt. We love the understated sexy effect a sharp high heel can have on an outfit you might wear to the office. For this look, we encourage you to consider the slingback. Vogue cautions you not to write off this classic style as befitting librarian stereotypes. “The slingback heel is naked, fun, and sassy. It’s one of the hottest shoes to ever exist.”

5 – Wear with a short skirt

Then again, sometimes you gotta give the people what they want and show a little leg. Go big. Go bold. Go out. We submit for your consideration the Amazoutful Gladiators in Rose Gold.

6 – Wear with a monochrome ensemble

Keeping things simple and solid in the rest of your outfit gives you space to really draw the eye to a statement shoe.

7 – Wear with a T-shirt and black jeans

And finally, one of our favorite looks could go with almost any Louboutin you get your hands on. We especially love an animal print shoe styled with a loose T, barely tucked in. The key to pulling off this look? Be sure to roll up those skinny jeans enough to show your ankles above these irresistible heels!

Shop all our Christian Louboutins here.