Christian Louboutin: 'Women Are Happy to Wear Painful Shoes'

These shoes are not made for walkin': Nicole Richie wore these sky high Christian Louboutin shoes -- some might call them "torture devices" -- to a recent event in Hollywood, and as we all know, Louboutin shoes with the red soles are the A-list shoe for A-list celebs -- and shoppers. Well, now the designer has spoken out about why women are willing to suffer to wear his shoes.

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"There is an element of seduction in shoes that doesn't exist for men," said the designer in a recent interview. "Think about Marlene Dietrich crossing her legs -- the whole attitude. The language starts with the shoe and radiates over the whole body. A woman can be sexy, charming, witty or shy with her shoes. Shoes for men are about elegance or wealth; they are not playing with the inner character. That's why women are happy to wear painful shoes. For some a little discomfort is balanced by something else, which has to do with desire. You feel yourself, empower yourself, know yourself. You are aware of your body. This little act of discomfort pays off in lots of other ways."

Clearly Louboutin will not be walking a mile in his own shoe designs. The interview was conducted in the U.K., where he's launching a new book; he made these statements in the London Times, only to have them move Stateside via Fash Track. Well, it's not the first time women have had to suffer for beauty - but suffer for sex? Clearly Monsieur Louboutin thinks it's worth it!