Pumps, a basic women's shoe style, sometimes seem to defy classification. They are one of the most recognizable of women’s shoes. You'll see the word "pump" applied to almost anything, from stilettos to flats and just about everything in between. In most cases, women’s pump shoes are a closed toe shoe that covers the toes. The shoe uppers on the sides of pumps extend around the back of the foot to cover the sides and heel of the foot. They usually have low cut fronts and no fastening.

Pumps are casual and formal shoes worn by both genders. They look best when worn with skirts, dresses or dress pants. The style can be worn with jeans to liven up a casual outfit although the pump is primarily a formal shoe. They are commonly worn at offices, dinners, and at parties. One of the best features of the pump is its versatility. They can worn for dinner at a restaruant after work. It's a style of footwear that every woman should have in her wardrobe. Many women have a plain black pair for work or formal occassions, and a more colorful, fun pair for the evening.

The earliest pumps were made in the 15th century for men and were called pompes. Pompes were often flat shoes. Kater, some men incorporated a wide higher heel into the shoe. Soon, women began to wear varying pump styles. Modern pumps date to the early 20th century. Early women’s pumps were often worn by servants who did not have time to spend on buckles or laces. Elaborately buckled and laced shoes were considered dressier for women for centuries.

Now, pumps are considered very dressy to casual and incorporate a wide range of styles. They can either be heeled or flat. Heel height varies considerably and often depends upon the current style, as does the shape of the uppers covering the toe. The past century, fashion has introduced pointy toed pumps, rounded toe pumps, and peep-toe pumps which feature a cut out of the upper over the middle tip of the shoe, allowing a peek at the toes. No matter what the style of the toe covering area, stiletto heels remain one of the traditionally fashionable ways to wear pumps.

Pumps are suitable for most occasions where you would need to wear a dress, skirt, or formal office clothing like a pants suit or skirt suit. Virtually every fashion maven agrees that the one pair of pumps you must own is a simple black pair. Beyond that, pumps can be chosen for their style, comfort, or to coordinate with varying outfits.

Although we may think of the traditional pump as leather, fabric pumps have been a staple since the 1940s. Popular, especially for weddings are proms are satin pumps that can be “dyed to match.” Though these may not be particularly comfortable, sometimes fashion trumps foot comfort. Comfort certainly is an issue with pumps and high heels in general. The width of the upper enclosing the toes may lead to blisters, and when worn all the time, numerous foot problems.

Some of the worst pumps from a foot health perspective are those with exceptionally high heels that have ill-fitting, pointing toes. The toes don’t like to be squished into a point and will respond by forming blisters, corns, bunions and a variety of other conditions. There are some simple ways to address this.

Pumps that are flats or near flats put less pressure on the toes. Switch out pumps with open-toed shoes from time to time, or choose dressy loafers that are more rounded and provide more room for the toes.

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