Which fashion brand owns the trademark for red soles on high-heeled shoes?

Christian Louboutin owns the famous trademark associated with red soles on many high-heeled shoes. The French designer’s shiny red sole became a signature of his footwear and a recognizable luxury-fashion mark.

The origin story dates to the early 1990s. Louboutin reportedly felt that a black sole made one of his designs look visually heavy, so an assistant painted the sole with red nail polish. The unexpected contrast became a recurring design feature, eventually turning into the brand’s visual calling card. The shade is identified by the Pantone code 18-1663 TPX.

The protection is not an unlimited monopoly over every red shoe sole. In the United States, litigation with Yves Saint Laurent led to a 2012 ruling that narrowed the mark: Louboutin’s red sole is protected when the shoe’s upper is a contrasting color, while an entirely red shoe may still be sold by another designer.

Salvatore Ferragamo, Jimmy Choo, and Manolo Blahnik are also major luxury footwear names, but Louboutin is the brand most specifically associated with trademarked red soles.