What kind of shoes are 'pumps'?

[Kezztrel]

Trainers, heels, flats...? When people say pumps I never know what they mean. Am I alone in this?

I always thought that these were pumps.. no idea if I'm right though.

American pumps are the kind posted by MoG.
English pumps are either ballet shoes, or PE plimsolls.

Pumps are plimsolls in The North (or bits of it).

OK I see why I was confused now!

See I always think of plimsolls when I hear pumps, I always remember when I got into reading Sweet Valley high and they would dress up for some school dance in nice pretty dresses and then add a pair of pumps, I would be all WTF? Took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out what they meant (was before internet so could do a quick google either!)

I think of plimsolls first, then assume the person must mean ballet pumps if they seem more likely, then wonder if they mean heels. Useless word!

In America they are high heels.
In the olden days they were plimsols.
Now they are flat ballet style shoes.

Yeh, when i was a kid pumps were those non lace up soft things you wore for P.E at school (north england here). Now they seem to be those hoofing great platform court shoes with a rounded toe.

I've often heard flats referred to as pumps too, like repetto's.