Designers’ Shoe Showdown Reaches New York City Appeals Court

Two French fashion designers have taken their legal battle over red shoes to a federal appeals court in Manhattan.

At a hearing on Tuesday, a lawyer for Christian Louboutin defended its trademark on high heels with lacquered “Chinese red” soles. He argued that the courts should stop rival Yve Saint Laurent from making its own red shoes.

The lawyer compared the Christian Louboutin trademark to those held by Tiffany & Co. for blue boxes and Owens Corning for pink insulation. An Yve Saint Laurent attorney countered that fashion designers shouldn’t be able to hold trademarks on primary colors.

Christian Louboutin is appealing a lower court ruling rejecting its bid to halt Yve Saint Laurent from selling its red shoes until a pending a trademark infringement lawsuit is resolved.