Christian Louboutin painted a sole red in 1993 using an assistant's nail polish, and the flash of colour underfoot became the most recognisable signature in shoes. The effect depends on contrast, which is why black uppers have always been the default. Pink does something different, because it does not oppose the red so much as sit next to it on the same part of the spectrum. The result is a shoe where the sole reads as an extension of the upper rather than a surprise beneath it. It is a warmer, less severe version of the same idea.

Shade does most of the work across pink red bottoms. Hot pink and fuchsia, as on the Miss Z sandal, push the contrast hardest and read as deliberately loud. Baby pink and pale poupee tones, like the Cassia, soften everything and turn the red sole into a genuine accent rather than a matched pair. Grapefruit and coral sit in between and lean summery. Finish matters nearly as much, with patent amplifying both colours and matte suede muting them into something more wearable. Silhouettes run across the house range, from the Super Loubi flip to a full one hundred millimetre pump.

Pale pinks are the more versatile buy, because they behave almost like a neutral from a distance and let the sole do the signalling. Hot pink is a genuine commitment and works best on a simple silhouette, since a loud colour and a complicated shape together is a lot. Patent finishes photograph beautifully and scuff visibly, which is the trade in every glossy shoe. The flat and flip options are the practical outliers and are the only ones you will wear for a whole day. If you take one thing away, it should be that the pink and the red are close enough on the spectrum to read as intentional rather than clashing, which is exactly why this combination works when it should not. Pick your shade before your heel height.