Christian Louboutin Explains Why He's Suing YSL

Shoe designer Christian Louboutin is suing Yves Saint Laurent for producing a pair of heels which had his signature (and trademarked) red sole. The shoe in question was a pair from Yves Saint Laurent's Spring 2011 collection, in which several pairs of shoes appeared in bright colours with matching bright soles (there was also a pair of purple heels with a purple sole, and so forth). Louboutin has now opened up a case against the French fashion house, with papers that state: "The defendant's use of red footwear outsoles that are virtually identical to plaintiff's Red Sole Mark is likely to cause and is causing confusion, mistake and deception among the relevant purchasing public as to the origin of the infringing footwear."

Christian Louboutin has in the past successfully sued other shoe designers for using his red soles, and has now explained why he is suing Yves Saint Laurent. Louboutin commented: "I have the biggest respect for the house of Yves Saint Laurent. Having discussed the matter with them and not been able to reach an agreement, we have had to take this to court. My company has a trademark on the red sole and if we don't enforce it this would leave the door open for other brands to copy us while jeopardising the identity of the Louboutin red sole. No one before me has ever used a coloured sole to define a brand's identity. The red sole has become widely recognised as the distinct sign of my brand in the eyes of women all over the world."

Is Louboutin going too far? After all, it's not as if the shoes were crafted by someone intentionally trying to make a knock-off version, considering YSL shoes go for around the same price mark, but it's understandable that he is protecting his own name and the key signature that sets his shoes apart. Below is the YSL pair in question - let us know in the comments who you think is in the right!

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