Women paint their shoe soles Red to get Louboutin look for less!!

Sales of red gloss paint have 'rocketed' 40% at Homebase as women find the cheapest way to get the Louboutin look is to do it yourself.

Wannabe Victoria Beckhams are buying red tester paint pots and painting the soles of their shoes to recreate iconic Louboutin heels on a budget.

Sales of red gloss colours such as Duracoat's 'Flame' and 'Show Stopper' have soared by 40 per cent due to women copying the Louboutin shoes worn by their style icons.

Christian Louboutin famously came up with the idea of giving all his designs a distinctive red sole in 1992 after painting an assistant's nail polish onto the bottom of a pair of shoes, because he felt the shoes "lacked energy". A legend was born, and in no time, flashing a red sole became a badge of honour for the fashion pack and Hollywood stars alike.

Claire Stevenson, 24, a PA from Croydon, wanted her dream pair of Louboutins to wear to her cousin's wedding and confessed to using the DIY trick.

She said: "There was no way I could afford to buy a pair of Louboutin heels, but I had my heart set on them and felt the pressure to be fashionable at the occasion.

"I bought a £20 pair of plain black shoes and a tester pot and recreated the designer look at home. I carefully painted the soles, let them dry overnight, and by the next day they were ready to wear.

'I received so many compliments at the wedding about my gorgeous shoes but I didn't have the heart to confess they were DIY fakes. It was such a success I plan on doing the same for another pair of heels."

Sad, it is… If you cannot afford it, simply don’t buy it. You can always find your style or even come up with your own. Just don’t ruin legacies!

Louboutin loses "Red Soles" Battle to ZARA

Shoe designer Christain Louboutin has failed at another attempt to defend his trademark red soles, this time to high-street chain Zara.

Designer Christian Louboutin Photo: REUTERS

Chrisitian Louboutin has lost another red sole-centred battle, this time against high-street chain Zara.

The case erupted in 2011 when Louboutin sued Zara France for "counterfeiting and unfair competition" when they sold a £45 (49 euros) pair of red-soled, opened-toed shoes similar to Louboutin's 'Yo Yo' style.

The courts initially ruled in favour of Louboutin, however Zara successfully appealed against the decision, and in June 2011 Christian Louboutin was ordered to pay Zara £2,016 (2,500 euros). The most recent set-back is the result of Christian Louboutin appealing the June 2011 ruling, in which Zara argued that "the terms of Louboutin's trademark registration were too vague, noting for instance that it did not contain a Pantone colour reference for the red soles."

Last week, the French court upheld the ruling in favour of Zara, noting that "there was no proven risk of confusion between Louboutin's shoes and the Zara pair", reports WWD .

Alexis Mourot, group chief operating officer and general manager of Christian Louboutin, said the company would continue defending its red soles, despite their most recent defeat: "Another red sole trademark application has been successfully registered and we will enforce this trademark against any infringers."

It's another blow for the famed French cordwainer in his tireless quest to trademark his red soles - he is currently in the process of appealing a similarly drawn-out case involving luxury fashion house Yves Saint Laurent.