The story is that Christian Louboutin grabbed an assistant's red nail polish in 1993 to fix a prototype that looked flat, and the sole has been lacquered since. What followed was two decades of litigation to protect it, including a landmark US case in 2012 that confirmed a single colour can function as a trademark in a specific application. That is a genuinely unusual legal outcome and it is why nobody else can do it. The shoes themselves descend from French couture shoemaking, with a narrow last and a high, steeply pitched heel that other houses have never quite copied.

These red bottom heels all trace back to that one coat of lacquer, and the first grid is the pump edit: the Miss Sab at two heights, La Pigalle, and a few suede and velvet-effect Kate, Kate Max and Miss Z pairs that bring colour to the line.

La Pigalle 100mm is the model the house is best known for, and Miss Z, Sporty Kate, Cassia, Erozee and the Fannylove slingback match its 100mm height. Miss Sab appears at 55mm and 85mm, which makes it the most flexible shape in the group. Jane Nina 55mm and Jane Pump Nandina 85mm cover the same two heights in a rounder toe. Miss Z at 80mm and the Miss Z slingbacks are the more modern silhouettes among these red bottom heels, and the Sofia Z and Miss Z 60mm slingbacks are the most comfortable of the lot by virtue of the lower heel and the open back.

The Cassia 100mm metallic mules and the Amali 130mm mules are the open-back options in this group, the Zeppa Chick wedge at 85mm is the steadiest, and the Promessina croc-effect ballet flat at 35mm is the lowest way to wear the sole.

A sandal is the lighter way into the red sole, and it is also where the sole shows least, because your foot covers most of it. What you notice instead is the strap work. The Miss Z 100mm sandal and the Miss Z 100mm slingback sandal are the plainest in the group, while the Cordelia 70 in jacquard is the lowest, which makes it the one I would reach for if you are on your feet all evening.

For a dressier night, the La Isla Vaporetta, Rosa Fruit and Meryl are all satin or crystal crepe satin and sit at 80mm to 100mm. The Zeezeenella is patent leather and the Me Dolly is smooth leather, both at 100mm, and the Miss Jane at 85mm is the easy everyday one. The Mulazee Cross in metallic leather has a crossed strap at 80mm, and the Arch Queen in suede is the one with embellishment.

Try sandals on late in the day, when your feet are at their widest, and walk across a hard floor before you decide. What I would skip: the Just Nothing in clear PVC if you dislike seeing a strap line on the skin, because the whole design is built around it.

The highest group here is for the days when the shoe is the whole point. The Loubi Queen Alta at 150mm, the Sandaloo at 130mm and the Alta at 160mm in velvet-finish suede all put a platform under the front, which brings the heel pitch down to something a person can actually walk in. The Maria at 160mm in satin and the Dolly Alta at 160mm in leather are pumps built the same way.

If you want the sole to be noticed under trousers, the boots do that best. The Bootytiag is a metallic leather Western boot at 100mm, the Miss Z in leopard pony hair is an ankle boot at 100mm, and the So Kate at 85mm in croc-effect patent is the lowest and most wearable of the three. Wear a platform with a hem that skims the floor, so the height is hidden and the sole flashes only when you step.

What I would skip: the 160mm styles if you are covering a lot of pavement, because they are best for a car to a table, not a commute.

Wide-leg wool trousers like the ssstein and Ami Paris pairs let the sole show when you walk, and the Frances Valentine and Lisa Says Gah black dresses are the easy evening route.

Add the ALMADA or Veronica Beard blazer and a clutch, either the DEMELLIER leather or the Bottega Veneta suede. Let the hem break just above the heel so the sole is the last thing people notice.

The red lacquer wears off the sole almost immediately on pavement and no amount of care prevents it, which is why a cobbler-applied protective sole fitted before the first wear is standard practice among people who actually wear these. Do it on day one. The lasts run narrow and short, so most people size up by half, and the 100mm pitch in particular requires a genuinely high arch to be bearable. Slingbacks solve the width problem partly and introduce a heel-slip one. Fit a red rubber sole protector before wearing them outside. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Louboutin Heels and Prada Loafers Dupe. For a softer color on the same sole, I gathered pink red bottoms, from patent pumps to hot pink sandals.