Stiletto maestro Christian Louboutin recently visited Washington, D.C. to sign his famous red soles at Neiman Marcus in Tysons Galleria shopping center.

Aptly, the shoe designer talked politics when it came to his first visit to the nation's capital:

"For eight years I was invited, but I never wanted to come before. I never wanted to come with Bush. I'm looking forward to coming back -- at least for four years," as reported in the Washington Post.

Not one to be press-shy, the outspoken Frenchman didn't stop there, "I would hate for someone to look at my shoe and say, 'Oh my God! That looks so comfortable!' That's not what I want to project. But I'm not a sadist," Louboutin told the newspaper. (Quelle horreur!)

Adding, "I don't believe suffering makes you beautiful. But comfort is not part of my creative process."

Job well done! When we see his heels, we think costly not comfy. (But we'd still skip a month's rent to buy a pair.)

And here's one client who has no problem trading practical for platform.