Objects described as 'nude' are often shades of beige and pink, and are not representative of all skin tones. Not so for shoe giant Christian Louboutin, who has become the first major luxury label to make its ‘nude’ products suitable for women of colour, extending its range of shoes to include a wider variety of skin tones. It’s a sure step forward for racial diversity in fashion.

There are going to be two new styles in the Nude Collection, and a much wider colour palatte of seven tones, ranging from fair to chestnut. This is so any woman can get a shoe that matches the colour of her skin. Calling beige and peach items of clothing ‘nude’ has been labelled as ‘racist’, with good reason, aside from the political and sociological issues, it's a simply inaccurate way to describe a colour. 

The nude collection launched in 2013 and sparked copycats both in other fashion houses and on the high street. It‘s great that the makers of arguably the most famous shoes in the world have taken this into account and extended their brand, and it means that hopefully this will spark a change in the fashion industry, moving it towards being accepting of all skin tones.

The new styles are Deepik, a peep-toe with scalloped edges, and Dorissima, which resembles their more classic stilettos. You can purchase these in any of the seven shades. All other shoe styles will be extended to include the new colours, too. It's odd that something which should be common sense – skin comes in different colours, so nude shoes should accommodate all of them as much as possible – is actually pioneering. It is, though, and it's not surprising that the brand behind the innovative Bondage Ballerina stilletto (on display at the V&A now!) is pushing boundaries that, for a lot of people, are closer to home.

Louboutin will be celebrating this step forward in fashion by bringing #NudesForAll to social media, and the new range will be in shops in August. Check out more from Louboutin in this gallery of fashion's most extreme shoes.