Christian Louboutin’s first UK mens' shop

Mayfair's Dover Street welcomes French label Christian Louboutin's men-only shoe emporium.

His red soles are synonymous with the heel-clad feet of Victoria Beckham, Rihanna and Kate Moss, but now Christian Louboutin has a dedicated store to cater to his male fans.

A two-story retail space on London's Dover Street - also home to Acne, Vanessa Bruno and McQ - has opened its doors, and there's not a stiletto in sight.

Decked in a red carpet described by Louboutin HQ as a "deeper, more masculine hue" than the one decorating its women's' stores, lashings of leather hides adorn the space, where spike-studded loafers and gold hi-tops take centre stage.

The London boutique is Christian Louboutin's fourth men's-only store; two in the US were launched in recent months following on from the first in Paris last year, which was opened to accommodate the growing demand and popularity of the brand's masculine offering.

USD 18 Million of fake Louboutins seized

Christian Louboutin is the latest high fashion designer to fall victim to Chinese counterfeiters as millions of pounds worth of fake Louboutins are seized by US customs.

Customs and immigration officals display the seized counterfeit Louboutin items Photo: GETTY

More than 20,000 pairs of counterfeit Christian Louboutin shoes have been seized by customs at the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport complex. It is thought that the shoes were destined for sale through one of the many websites that sell fake designer goods.

The haul, which arrived in the US from China, was split into five separate shipments - four of which were seized on Tuesday, with the fifth being seized late last month, revealed Jaime Ruiz, spokesman for US Customs and Border Protection, in a statement regarding the situation.

Mr Ruiz stated that the 20,457 pairs of shoes, all of which bared Louboutin's trademark red sole, had an "estimated manufacturer's suggested retail price" of $18 million.

A pair of counterfeit shoes seized. PHOTO: Getty

"Worn by celebrities and royalty in the fashion world, the lacquered red sole in (the) shoes is a distinctive symbol of the famous French designer Christian Louboutin," he commented further. "However, US Customs and Border Protection specialists have a different view of the lacquered red sole. They see a trademark protected by US law."

The shoes, which are said to be "very good counterfeits", will most likely be destroyed.

The shoe brand is just one of many high-fashion brands that suffer from widespread counterfeiting. Earlier this year, Hermès and Burberry were both awarded £63 million in damages in separate cases against websites selling counterfeit goods illegally bearing their brand names.

French designer Christian Louboutin, holding an original pair of Louboutins. PHOTO: Reuters

Christian Louboutin is also currently embroiled in two separate legal battles with Yves Saint Laurent and high-street store Zara , both of whom sold shoes featuring a red sole. Louboutin argue that the use of a red sole could cause confusion, mistake and deception among the relevant purchasing public as to the origin of the infringing footwear.

Louboutin Unveils Cinderella Shoe

And here you... The long awaited for Louboutin shoes is finally revealed!!!

If Cinderella were around today, she’d be sporting a pair of limited edition, red-soled 120-millimeter heels made by Christian Louboutin in Paris

The Christian Louboutin Cinderella shoe

At least, that’s what the shoe designer imagined when he was asked to give his interpretation of a modern-day Cinderella slipper in honor of Walt Disney’s release of the “Cinderella” Diamond Edition on Blu-ray disc this fall.  The fairy tale-inspired shoe was on display for the first time on July 4 in Paris.   

Opting out of using solid glass – they would never have survived Parisian cobblestones, not to mention the blister nightmare – he evoked lightness using white lace and sparkling crystals. Perched on a red cushion, and protected by a castle-like structure, the delicate, mini-platform lace heels adorned with Swarovski crystals were shown alongside stills and sketches from the making of the 1950 animated film.

“Cinderella is not only an iconic character when it comes to beauty, grace and fairytale love, but also shoes,” Louboutin stated. “Her character and her story dictated the design to me, it was all there in the pages and the words of this tale.”

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