- published: 22 Apr 2014
- views: 15457
Pumps (American English) or court shoes (British English) are shoes with a low-cut front and usually without a fastening. However, some have ankle straps. They are usually worn by women, but are still traditional menswear in some formal situations, when they are sometimes called opera slippers or patent pumps.
Pumps for women are usually heeled. The shape is as dictated by the fashion of the time. In the UK, in 2007 a closed toe and wide (non-stiletto) heel were worn by the very fashion-conscious, but most still wore stilettos of mainly 'kitten' height to medium height. Outside the fashion trade in the UK, the term "pumps" would normally imply flat or low-heel dancing or ballerina pumps, or even rubber-soled canvas plimsolls.
Pumps can be made from any material, but traditional patent leather is popular. Pumps are mostly worn with a suit or a uniform, but are also worn with formal and informal dresses, skirts, trousers, and jeans. White, stiletto-heeled Pumps are the standard attire with swimsuits in beauty pageants.