Manolo Blahnik has been checking out the competition, including Louboutin. Carrie Bradshaw’s favorite shoe designer was spotted at Barneys on Sunday, doing some of his own research. “He was checking out his own shoes,” says an eyewitness. “He was looking at how they were displayed and looking carefully at the competition.” But, says the source, he didn’t appear worried by what he saw from Christian Louboutin. “He picked up a shoe with a red bottom, dismissed it and went back to looking at his own collection,” says the spy. We’re told the designer, with an entourage of three people, was friendly to the staff as he perused the department in a smart suit and overcoat.