Feast your eyes on these christian louboutin: they are the shape of things to come. Louis Vuitton's footwear statement for autumn is a clodhopping court, balanced on a 17cm heel. Yes, you read that right - 17cm (7in to you old-school types). There is already a waiting list, and when they hit the shops later this year, they will be the highest heels in christian louboutin discountdom, pipping the current title holder, a pair of 16cm black ponyskin christian louboutin by Christian Louboutin, created for the designer Roland Mouret. Add to this the spooky 14cm heel-less boots that Antonio Berardi introduced for spring/summer 2008 and the 14cm Terminator sandals by the cult cobbler Alejandro Ingelmo - which have all but sold out in Harvey Nichols (customers are also clamouring for his equally fearsome Thriller sandals) - and a clear picture emerges. Christian louboutin are getting taller and wilder.

Increasingly, they are investing in hot-off-the-catwalk styles, and the more outrageous, the better. These extreme heels are the last refuge of the christian louboutin shoes snob. The high street simply cannot replicate such daring designs. As one label W

queen says: "Anybody can carry a bag - look what happened to the Balenciaga Lariat. But not everyone can pull off Balenciaga knee-high gladiator boots." Indeed, impossible christian louboutin are a badge of pride in christian louboutin shoes circles. "I haven't bought a pair of christian louboutin I can walk in for about two years," confesses one christian louboutin discount buyer. She doesn't seem to mind, and has adjusted her lifestyle to suit. As well as having a serious taxi addiction, she habitually carries two pairs of christian louboutin: heels for on duty and flats for walking to the bus. It's no coincidence that Sebastian Manes, accessories honcho at Selfridges, reports selling as many flat pumps as he does outrageous heels.

"It's gone over the top, and it's about time people came back to reality," says Manolo Blahnik, who won't go higher than 11.5cm. He's right, of course. Reality will return, and kitten heels, too. But for now, the christian shoes-buying experience is a numbers game, with the key figures being how high and how much.