From our contributor Zenita on Fashion.
Gucci is one of the most prestigious design labels in the world, and they manufacture many high quality hand-made items that I’d love to own.
You know what’s coming, though. Even at the best companies, once in a while, the interns are allowed to post items to the website.
A “pump” in the U.S. is also called a “court shoe” in the UK since the late 19th century, signifying that you would wear it to more formal events like those held at the royal court, where higher heels were in fashion. Pumps have an enclosed front and back and do not have laces, velcro or snaps, so (with a couple of specific exceptions) the shape of the shoe is what holds it on. Most pumps are worn by women, but male styles like patent loafers or velvet slipper-style shoes are also worn to formal occasions by men.
Of course, the shoe shown above on the page from the Gucci website has an open back, which means it can’t be a pump. It is, in fact, a beautifully-designed formal closed-toe T-strap platform sandal. The slightly wider heel gives you the slimming line of a stiletto but greater stability when you walk. The heel is extremely high, making your legs look long and feminine, but the platform makes that lofty heel feel like a standard 3.5 or 4-inch (about 10 cm) rise, which is within traditional standards.
Not painless, mind you, but traditional.
That’s far better than a Louboutin “So Kate” pump at 4.75″ (12 cm) with no platform, which looks gorgeous but makes your foot tilt like a ballerina en pointe.
Dearest Gucci, you can hear that I love your design, your materials and your quality. But next time let the pro’s add content to the website, because Gucci, That’s Not a Pump!
