The famous French shoe designer, Christian Louboutin, is under the impression that Yves Saint Laurent stole Louboutin’s red outer sole design, so is suing the company.  On May 19, 2011,  Louboutin filed the lawsuit in a Manhattan Federal Court.  The French designer is seeking a court injunction against all of the sales of the copycat shoes in the U.S., plus all the damages, amounting to at least $1 million.

Louboutin’s trademarked red soled shoes have been seen on the feet of many notable celebrities, from Carla Bruni and Victoria Beckham to Oprah Winfrey and Beyoncé.

Bridget Helene, Yves Saint Laurent America’s spokeswoman, says that the lawsuit states, “Mr. Louboutin is the first designer to develop the idea of having red soles on women’s shoes.”

Additionally, YSL court papers state: “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 and the ruby red shoes that carried Dorothy home in ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ ”

Louboutin was so mad at YSL America, that he had to refrain from calling them cheap knockoffs.

Yves Saint Laurent makes it clear that their soles come in a variety of colors from purple, green and navy — and also have a glazed look to them.  Additionally, Yves Saint Laurent argues that it has been using red-soled shoes since the 1970s, which is a solid forty years before Louboutin ever got the trademark.  The company also argues if it is even possible to trademark a specific color.

What do you think of Louboutin’s latest red sole fueled lawsuit?  Justified or ridiculous?

P.S. We’re with Perez; we hope this girl has a lawyer.