Ladies may Love Cool James, but fashionistas love Louboutins. The Paris based luxury shoe brand — pronounced “Loo-Boo-Tahn” — was launched in 1991 by Christian Louboutin. To distinguish his shoes from the crowd, Mr. Louboutin took the extra step of adding vibrant red lacquer to the soles of each shoe.
This discreet yet chic flash of red has become a sought after symbol of style and status for everyone from round-the-way girls to Hollywood’s fiercest fashionistas.