Basic, yes. Necessity, no.

I end up rarely ever wearing pumps. I seem to go straight from sandals to boots and back again, and in between I usually like my flats -- loafers, ballet, oxfords -- and my pumps go mainly unworn.

I cannot get excited about nude pumps for me. I have some metallic ones that suffice and have a bit more edge. Those suit my current style and needs better than nude pumps.

I do have a couple of pairs of nude wedge sandals that I like for summer dresses, skirts and shorts.

Nothing is a requirement for everyone, but nude pumps can be very versatile (if you wear pumps, that is). I didn't realize how necessary they were for me until I attended a funeral this summer. I wore flats, but they did NOT look right with the outfit (not that anyone was looking at me anyway). The only truly perfect shoe would have been one that disappeared, like the nude pump. I had a pair of very high nude heels, but that wasn't the look I was going for. As soon as that event was over, I went on a mission to find mid-height, nude-for-me pumps that I could wear with or for anything. I don't wear them a lot, but they definitely fill a hole I had not realized existed in my closet!

I like them for wearing with lighter-colored things. They are like basic black, but for wearing with khaki, beige, cream, bright colors, etc...esp. outfits that have no black in them. I don't like black shoes if there is no other black in the outfit because I think they look heavy and odd and pull the outfit down. Of course lots of non-black shoes would work in those cases, but nude shoes are very versatile for outfits like this.