Shoe designer Christian Louboutin poses in his studio in Paris, France on April 13, 2011.
The devil wears Christian Louboutin, and he doesn’t care if his shoes hurt.
True fashionistas will gladly suffer for their style, but when it comes to pulling on a pair of $500 heels, you should be comfortable, right? Sure, unless you’re talking to Christian Louboutin, who quite frankly has no sympathy for you.
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The luxury shoemaker told Grazia magazine:
I really have not so much sympathy. If Tina Turner and Prince’s back-up band can perform on stage in them for three hours, you can’t tell me they are impossible to walk in. High heels are pleasure with pain.
Louboutin did say he felt sorry for some people: specifically, men, who can’t wear heels as a height aid. The shoe designer is currently preparing for a high-fashion shoe exhibit at the London’s Design Museum next month.
Louboutin’s practical advice for those who aspire to a pair of his signature red-backed Louboutins, which retail for hundreds of dollars? “If you can’t walk in them, don’t wear them.”
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Erica Ho is a contributor at TIME and the editor of Map Happy. Find her on Twitter at @ericamho and Google+. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.