Semper Ubi Sub Ubi
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T.A.Jones:
May 8th, 2010 at 8:56 am
The explanation commonly given over here (Britain) is that it refers to a type of flat shoe worn for dancing during the heyday of “taking the waters” at the various spa towns. The room where the spa water was dispensed, and in which, or in adjacent rooms, social events such as dances were held during the season, was commonly called the “pump room(s)” – Hence “pumps” for the shoes which would often have been worn there.
I myself have “taken the waters” in the pump room at Bath, though not danced therein.
Mary:
May 8th, 2010 at 1:31 pm
My costumer friends tell me that pump shoes are so called because they were worn by the fashionable folk who took the waters in the famous Pump Room at Bath, England. Originally they were worn as dress shoes by men. I’ll see if I can find you a citation, if this is of interest.
Mary:
May 9th, 2010 at 9:21 pm
T.A. Jones — you said it better than I did. Sorry I hadn’t seen your comment sooner. Mine went to “moderation purgatory” since it was my first comment on this wonderful site. :-)
cyranorox:
May 13th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
Robinson Crusoe mentions wearing pumps, clearly low, step-in, strapless [?] shoes for men, and not fancy, but one of the footwear used at sea.
austin:
October 17th, 2013 at 2:45 pm
interested in “shoes for the dead”; only citation i know is Firesign Theatre:
“Shoes for industry-shoes for the dead”
in imitation of a government public service announcement
circa WWII on radio.
M. janzen:
November 14th, 2014 at 9:24 am
Referring to shoes as “pumps” dates back to the 1500s, when men and servants wore shoes without heels known as “pompes.” From there, the pompes evolved from the plain, flat shoes worn by men to embellished, heeled shoes worn by women.
JohnT:
September 3rd, 2015 at 7:00 am
For M. janzen #6 above: Which country and – or language was this? Do you have more reference?
Tyri Hansen:
July 9th, 2019 at 9:37 am
I suspect that M. janzen may be right. To this day, “pompes” is used in popular French to designate generic shoes, men’s or women’s, heel or no heel, strap or no strap — just plain shoes. (Another word, a slightly more informal or slangy word, is “godasses,” with a connotation of lesser quality.) I have no idea of the origin of either of these two words.