What images spring to mind when you envision a pair of Christian Louboutins?

If the iconic red sole is top of your list, you're not alone.

Like the structure of an Hermes Birkin bag or the cut and flow of a Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress, there are some pieces most of us could recognise a mile off, and a pair of sky-high Loubotuins is among them.

Renowned for their scarlet sole, Louboutins are instantly recognisable, but where did the inspiration come from?

In his book Rizzoli, the designer reveals all, and unfortunately it's not as captivating a story as we might have hoped.

Having taken a bottle of nail polish from his assistant, Christian decided to coat the underside of a shoe in the scarlet varnish.

According to Marie Claire,  the French designer was so impressed by the result, he decided that every shoe he created from then on would sport the same scarlet sole.

The signature look remains one of the most iconic of the 20th century, but we kind of just wish the back-story was a little…well… more fabulous.