Savate takes its name from the French for "old boot" (heavy footwear that used to be worn during fights).
The modern formalized form is mainly an amalgam of French street fighting techniques from the beginning of the 19th century. There are quite a few historical hints of kick fighting going back to Frankish and even Gaulish roots[citation needed] with the modern footwear changes and boxing amalgamation being just the most recent adjuncts in a long honorable line.