Louboutin® Red
History, Heel, Store + Brand Design, & Pantone®
This week’s color is a high-octane red born from the luxury brand behind the iconic red bottom heel—Christian Louboutin.
Also known as "Chinese Red”, this red color lives on the soles of stilettos and in the minds of luxury lovers worldwide.
A Brief History
In 1993, Christian Louboutin was working on a prototype for a new shoe design inspired by Andy Warhol’s “Flowers” series. The shoe had a bold silhouette, but something about the final product still felt underwhelming to the designer.
“The drawing was good, but the shoe was not as good as the drawing. I couldn’t understand why.” – Louboutin, 2011 New Yorker
Then, one day while his assistant was painting her nails next to him, Louboutin randomly grabbed the bottle of red nail polish and started painting the sole red.
As soon as he did, everything clicked. The shoe went from ordinary to electric, with the red sole adding contrast, attitude, and a sense of luxury.
The Trademark Battle
By the mid-90s, the red-lacquered sole was showing up across Louboutin collections. It became so associated with the brand that in 2008, Louboutin officially filed to trademark the color as used on the soles of shoes.
Then, when Yves Saint Laurent released a red shoe with a matching red sole in 2011, Louboutin sued. What followed was a high-profile legal battle that set a precedent in color trademark law.
Louboutin ended up winning partial rights—the court ruled he had exclusive use of the red sole only when it contrasted with the rest of the shoe. In other words, a red shoe with a red sole is not his domain, but any pretty much other color paired with a red sole is protected Louboutin territory.
Heel Design
Today, Louboutin Red on a pair of heels is a beacon of status, sex appeal, and confidence. See the image below for some more Louboutin heel design history:
Whether peeking out under a pump, boot, or even a men’s loafer, it successfully signals bold glamour.
Louboutin Red is also cleverly used beyond soles—it thoughtfully appears in lipstick packaging, store design, and digital content to reinforce the brand’s identity. Let’s get into it!
Store Design
Christian Louboutin’s boutiques are a physical extension of the brand’s glamour—with interiors that are bold and almost theatrical, in a sense.
In the images above, for example, you can see how the stores spotlight shoes like art. Each pair is framed in arched, inset niches—a design motif repeated across global locations.
The walls themselves become an essential part of the display, with contrasting red alcoves that echo the signature sole.
Furthermore, their velvet carpets, warm lighting, and sculptural layouts amplify the sense of drama and luxury. It’s cinematic and meticulously curated, just the shoes.
Branding
As you can see, this is a case where the brand does not shy away from using their signature color almost everywhere.
From the signature lacquered sole to nail polishes, lipsticks, and luxury packaging, Louboutin Red is the connective tissue that holds the brand’s aesthetic together. It’s not an accent, it’s the main character.
Pantone® & More
As I mentioned earlier, Louboutin’s official red color is also known as “Chinese Red” or, in the world of Pantone, 18-1663 TCX.
Hex Code: #EE1F25
RGB: 238, 31, 37
CMYK: 0, 87, 84, 7
As always, thank you so much for reading—and if you enjoyed it, feel free to give it a like so I know what kinds of posts people want to see most :)
Have a color you’d love to see next? Drop suggestions in the comments!