27/09/2012
The pump is a true fashion classic, having been around for centuries. The name itself was first used in the 1500s, when strapless shoes without heels were worn by men and referred to as "pompes." These days, the pump is firmly established as a woman's shoe, but it hasn't always been thus. As one of the most versatile styles of footwear around, they were frequently worn by men in the past, although their later history is firmly female.
Back in the 1500s, when the shoes were first worn, the easy-to-wear style was often seen on the feet of servants. Why servants? They didn't have the time or money for the fussy buttons and laces which characterized the other styles of the day. By the time the twentieth century rolled around, however, things had changed dramatically and the classic style had become associated with style and glamour.
