Court Shoe Specification

Department of Leather Engineering, KUET, Khulna-9203.

Court shoe

Heeled shoes with low cut fronts and usually no fastening. The plain seamless pump started life as a heel-less shoe worn indoors. It was a slip on which did not extend beyond or above the vamp and quarter top lines, held onto the foot without a fastening, although later a wrap around strap like a ballet slipper was used. In the UK the pump was known as a court shoe.

Historical Background

By the nineteenth century the slip on pump had become sophisticated worn by both men and women. A low front pump deliberately tantalized by exposing suggestive toe cleavage. When dandy Count

D'Orsay introduced a pump style which was low cut on the sides to expose the curve of the long arch and the sinuous movements of the foot the shoe took on extra sensual components.

The sensual trifecta was completed with the addition of higher heels. By the 1930s daytime shoes were neat and feminine-looking with oval toes and straight, high heels.

S. M. Murshidur Rahman, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET).

Women’s wear

• Pumps for women are usually heeled. The shape has varied through 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.

• In the UK, outside the fashion trade, the term "pumps" would normally imply flat or low-heel dancing or ballerina pumps, or even rubber-soled canvas plimsolls. In the U.S., "pumps" exclusively refers to women's shoes with a kitten or higher heel.

S. M. Murshidur Rahman, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET).

• 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.

• Pumps are also part of the costume of a ballroom dancer. They are made of satin, usually tan, though other colors are made as well, and worn on both the competition and practice floors.

Fig: Women’s Court shoe

S. M. Murshidur Rahman, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET).

Women’s court shoe

Men’s wear

In the Regency period, during the day upper-class gentlemen in western Europe wore dress boots, and boots or pumps by night, which accompanied silk knee-high stockings and breeches. The shoes originally had silver cut-steel buckles, but these were removed by the influence of Brummell, and a square grosgrain bow was added. By Victorian times, evening footwear was pumps when there would be dancing or music (hence the name opera shoe or opera slipper), and patent leather dress boots otherwise. Pumps remained as standard with evening full dress until the 1930s. At that time, the dress boot was also going out of fashion, as laced shoes began to be worn at all times.

S. M. Murshidur Rahman, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET).

Even though it now survives in much the same form as it was at the start of the 19th century (though it is occasionally now worn with plain, not patent, calf), pumps have been largely displaced by Oxfords, perhaps because of an effeminate image and the declining use of white tie. It remains acceptable (though rare) with black tie, and, since formal boots are now hardly ever worn, pumps are standard with white tie, their only remaining common use. They are still preferred with formalwear by many leaders of style. The original versions worn with steel cut buckles are still worn as part of British court uniform and dress.

Fig: Men’s Court shoe

S. M. Murshidur Rahman, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET).

Men’s court shoe

Basic Features of Court Shoe

It has an unbroken topline. The top line will be below the vamp point. Shoes for ladies formal and casual wear. No adjustable fastening, with no material over the instep. Shoe held on by

clip of the top line. Can be: (i) ½ cut-seamed down the vamp.

(ii) ¾ cut-inside waist seam (iii) Whole cut-no seam, all excluding back seam.

Many variations possible such as low heel, one or two side open, open toe, sling back, etc.

S. M. Murshidur Rahman, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET).

Court Shoe

Topline

Vamp

Heel

Fig: Court ShoeS. M. Murshidur Rahman, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET).

Unbroken top line

Unbroken top line &

no adjustable fastening

Topline

Fig: Court Shoe

S. M. Murshidur Rahman, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET).

The top line will be below the vamp point.

The top line will be below the vamp point

S. M. Murshidur Rahman, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET).

¾ cut-inside waist seam

¾ cut-inside waist seam

S. M. Murshidur Rahman, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET).

Whole cut-no seam, all excluding back seam

Some Style of Court Shoe

S. M. Murshidur Rahman, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET).

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S. M. Murshidur Rahman, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET).

Presented by:S. M. Murshidur Rahman

Department of Leather Engineering,Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET), Khulna-9203,

Bangladesh.Email: murshidurkhulnabd@gmail.com

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