When did metal taps on the toes and heels of shoes become popular?

Metal taps on the toes and heels of shoes became popular in the 1920s, marking the emergence of tap dance as it is recognized today.1

Prior to this development, dancers utilized various footwear, such as wooden-soled shoes for buck-and-wing dancing or soft-soled shoes for soft-shoe performances. The transition to standardized metal taps was solidified when entire chorus lines in productions like Shuffle Along (1921) appeared on stage wearing shoes equipped with these attachments. While the term "tap shoe" itself saw its first known use in 1932, the practice of nailing or screwing metal plates onto soles had already become a defining feature of the art form during the preceding decade.12