Essential guide to Manolo Blahnik’s BB pump

Manolo Blahnik’s BB pump is a classical court high-heeled court shoe, crafted by one of the greatest shoe designers of all time.

In 2012 Manolo Blahnik confirmed that his BB pump is the best-selling shoe he had ever produced, describing it as “totally timeless and very chic and flattering.” A decade later, Manolo confirmed that BB remained his bestseller even despite the pandemic. “That shoe is unstoppable,” he told Harpers Bazaar in 2022.

BB is named after sex symbol Brigitte Bardot. It is inspired by the fashions of the 1950s when Bardot reigned supreme, and heels were simple, clean and spectacular.

Blahnik reintroduced the BB court shoe in 2009 to instant demand. Since then it has been produced in over 50 colors and in heel heights ranging from 2 inches to nearly 5 inches. The most popular height is 4 inches.

BB pump by Manolo Blahnik

There’s a very clever reason why this shoe is timeless though: it is updated yearly!

Manolo Blahnik loves color and opulence. Every season he combines his love of these to produce a new BB pump, a re-imagined (and sometimes reshaped) version of the old classic.

Manolo Blahnik BB pump

In 2020, the BB pump was a favorite of Meghan Markle. Melania Trump also wore BB regularly throughout her husband’s presidency, as well as Christian Louboutin’s So Kate.

Blahnik’s favorite color BB is sold out (“I love it in beautiful silk ottoman, in the brightest Spanish yellow,” the designer once told ELLE).

But there is good news: for the designer’s 50th anniversary in 2021 the label produced a limited range of gold heels, including BB. The BB version did not disappoint in either its opulence or excellence: it was called BBLA and featured gold macramé lace as its upper.

Like all the limited edition shoes in this capsule collection, the gold BB pump was finished with a gold disc on the sole. It is available from Manolo Blahnik for £775 (limited sizes only remain).