Ow, it´s been quite a while....

I have been just reading an article as I stumbled on this word in this sentence: "In a high-heeled argument last year, Christian Louboutin, a shoemaker, sued Yves Saint-Laurent, a fashion house. Louboutin was irked that YSL made footwear that had a red sole, a distinctive feature of Louboutin shoes. The case was tried in America, but both companies are French. This presented a few problems".