After launching his brand in 1991, French-born footwear designer Christian Louboutin opened his first boutique in Paris the following year. That same year, he incorporated the infamous red sole into the design of his shoes. In a moment of frustration, feeling that something was missing from a shoe, Louboutin applied an assistant’s red nail polish to the sole and as he tells it, “something went alive.” His unplanned solution became a huge success, establishing both brand differentiation and a signature trademark in a crowded and competitive market.

Louboutins retail for, on average, $800 – and yes, everyone pays. Each shoe is handmade with the touch of at least ten artisan’s hands and adding the red-lacquer does, in fact, increase production costs. Nevertheless, women are not dissuaded by the price or wearing what is effectively, a brand logo. They just want to feel feminine and sexy, but also elegant.

Upon entering Louboutin’s website, visitors feel just that. To start, there is the signature red, a color he chose because it engages and is flirtatious suggesting love and passion, which imparts an immediate feel of sex appeal, femininity, and luxe.

There is the eclectic “Louboutin World” which includes blogs by Mr. L, video films written and directed by him, special projects he is working on, and press clippings. The Louboutin Times playfully reports on brand developments such as the most recent headline, “Studs Are a Boy’s Best Friend” which highlights his line of studded sneaker’s for men.

Overall, the website is basic, simple and not bogged down with extraneous or irrelevant offerings. This less-is-more approach to his online branding is consistent with his offline collateral. Being the outstanding designer that he is, Louboutin knows that his brand speaks for itself regardless of the platform and that unlike his competitors, he need not embellish or diffuse what is already perfection to many. Visitors to his website feel a sense of comfort, of coming home.

Confessing that he would hate for someone to look at his shoes and think that they are comfortable, Louboutin has stated that comfort is not part of his creative process.

Just this once, we’ll forgive him.