"there's no place like home..."

When I watched The Wizard of Oz for the first time at age 5, the one thing I was most excited about was Dorothy's ruby red slippers. My mom and I searched through every costume store in my hometown until we found them - my very own pair of sparkling ruby red heels. Thus began my obsession with the shoe industry.


I currently have 42 pairs of shoes in my closet. Many of my friends refer to my love of shoes as a disease; however, I prefer to think of it as a hobby. At size 12, my shoe selection is quite limited - therefore, when I find a pair that fits correctly, it's almost impossible for me not to buy them.


That being said, when I heard about the ongoing dispute between Yves Saint Laurent and the fabulous Christian Louboutin, I knew I had found the perfect thing to blog about.


For those of you who don't know, Christian Louboutin recently filed a lawsuit against Yves Saint Laurent for the use of red soles on their new line. Louboutin claimed that he was the first designer to use the red sole, one of the flairs that make his shoes famously unique. 


YSL fired back saying "red outsoles are a commonly used ornamental design feature in footwear, dating as far back as the red shoes worn by King Louis XIV in the 1600s. As an industry leader who has devoted his entire professional life to women's footwear, Mr Louboutin either knew or should have known about some or all of the dozens of footwear models that rendered his sworn statement false."


Personally, I am a huge fan of Christian Louboutin. His work is flawless and he has the celebrity cliental to prove it (he is constantly worn on the red carpet). I mean, let's be serious: 

How fabulous are these black and cream pumps? With the famed red sole they would be an
instant hit at the office or on the go. 

I am addicted to platform wedges this summer (even at a staggering 6'1'' - I say own your height!) 

Forget ruby red slippers - I'd take these wonders any day of the week. 

I see Yves Saint Laurent's point about red soles being used long before Louboutin's line, but in my opinion, he's the one that made them famous. If you see a woman walking down the street with red soles on her shoes, you instantly know that she's wearing Louboutins (and get a twinge of jealousy that you don't have a pair just like it). 


Hopefully the dispute between the two fashion houses can be resolved before things get any nastier. I would hate to see my image of this shoe design legend be ruined by snide comments and cruel undercuts. But we will have to wait and see. Until then, I will be browsing longingly through the Christian Louboutin website, wishing that he made my size (with my wallet thanking God that he doesn't). 


Until next time ♥