Below is taken from http://www.ockickbox.com/savate.html:

 

Boxe Francaise-Savate
French Savate
Boxe Francaise-Savate is the French national sport of kicking and punching differing from kickboxing in its constant movement and emphasis on skill over sheer power.

Savate, known as boxe Francaise savate or la boxe Francaise is a French martial art. Its development began in 17th century Marseilles, and was originally a type of kicking brawling style. Early in the 18th century, it was synthesized with English boxing maneuvers, and is today a comprehensive and respected martial arts style. 
Savate combines boxing-style punches with a variety of kicks, but the style also includes some cane-fighting techniques, an interesting bit of trivia not very well known. 

A savate fighter is called a savateur (fem. savateuse) or tireur. Rank is indicated by an inch-wide colored band around the wrist of the savate glove. The ranks from lowest to highest are: 

Purple
Blue
Green
Red
White
Yellow
Bronze
Silver
Gold

 

 

Another from http://www.cambridgemartialarts.freeserve.co.uk/savate.htm

 

savate 

(Middle French: "old shoe"), French sport of fighting by kicking, practiced until the first half of the 19th century. It occurred mainly among the lower orders of Parisian society. When savate died out, its more skillful elements were combined with those of English bare-knuckle pugilism to produce la boxe française. The name savate continued to be used to describe any form of fighting in which the use of the feet was permitted. Two classic blows were a back heel aimed at the stomach and a double mule kick in the face delivered from a handstand position.

The pioneer of la boxe française, or modern savate, was Charles Lecour, who opened a school in Paris in the 19th century. Lecour developed a form in which both punching and kicking were used. The sport became popular for a time, and public exhibitions were staged, but enthusiasm for it waned in the 20th century.

In Thailand, a form of boxing with the feet is an indigenous sport and is more popular than boxing with the fists. Thai kick boxing is very similar to savate. The sport is taught to boys at monasteries, and competitions are held regularly.