What your shoes say about you (from a man’s perspective)
Posted on April 18th, 2008 by Shomore under GeneralOn the latest edition of ‘This Week in Shoes’, Shoesense posted a link showing us how to judge a man by his shoes. On the flip side, there is an interesting post on what a woman’s shoes says to a man. Here’s an excerpt:
I have an odd habit when I see an attractive woman just walking down the street. Most guys check out the body, the hair, the eyes, the teeth, the face… For me, the second glance is always a look at her shoes.
Now, I know that’s weird, but let me explain. Shoes, to me, tell a lot about the person who’s wearing them. Guys aren’t usually as picky about clothes, mostly because it’s not often a big deal in most situations. Obviously, power suits for the office, and a jumper for the mechanic shop, but in the “casual” category, clothes aren’t that big of a deal. I mean, most everyone wears jeans and a t-shirt, right?
But its the shoe choice that really makes me think, especially for girls, who more often than not have at least ten pairs of shoes. (At least from the girls’ closets that I’ve seen. Shoes are a big deal.) Each sends a different signal, including the color choices and patterns. Here’s my little mental guide… Via Unfocused Productions
Kyle lists a few broad categories such a high and low heels, sandals, boots, tennis shoes, (no flats or wedges though?) and by color. While I do have a few high heels (which are mostly collecting dust) and tennis shoes (for the gym), I suppose my shoes fit into these categories:
Low Heels - Girls in low heels usually are only wearing them because they are wearing a skirt. It’s either a dress occasion or a business meeting, and so low heels are a practical, but still business-oriented choice. These girls often are secretaries, or other such personnel. They’re usually pretty down-to-earth, and are easy to talk to. They don’t often wear clothes to draw attention to themselves, but think a little more practically.
Conservative colors, such as white, black, or brown, fall between the “Low Heels” and “Tennis Shoes” categories. These are girls that are more conservative.
Okay, so many of my shoes are for pure functional reasons - I wear a lot of shoes with either low heels, wedges, or chunky heels because they are more supportive than narrow heels and I need a boost because I’m 5″3 . Also, I rarely wear a skirt and used to be a software developer and now I’m a project manager so maybe the assessment isn’t spot on. But if you follow Shoesense’s wisdom and take this with a boulder of salt, there are any elements that are accurate and at the very least, quite entertaining. I’m definitely quite conservative with my finances, actions, etc. I’m laid-back (or so I like to think). I’m pretty non-fussy about things and low maintenance (minimal if any makeup and don’t need too many things even though I may like them) and I do try to attract as little attention as possible.
So, I’m curious, what category do fellow shoe lovers fall in?
- Dries van Noten redux: Not you, Posh!
- Shoe Fleur
- Pierre Hardy for Gap
- Killer Shoes: Victoria Beckham’s Spiked Stilettos
- Neiman Marcus Sale Alert
- Turkey Shoes (literally)


Piperlime
April 19th, 2008 at 4:37 am
Although my 60-odd pairs of shoes cover all of those categories (except the punk-rock low boots), my preference is definitely a very high heel. I’m not sure his judgement is correct, though - I’m way too much of a nerd to be one of the “pretty girls”, and although it takes me a while to get ready in the morning, once I’m put together, I’m good to go for the day. I keep lip chap and a compact in my purse… no more makeup than that, unless it’s a special occasion.
For me, high heels serve a dual purpose. One, I’m short, and I work in a male-dominated field, so I find the heels give me the confidence that comes with height when dealing with male colleagues. Secondly, I just feel more graceful and feminine in heels. I like how I walk in heels, and I have much better posture when I stand. My fashion icons come from the 1950’s and early 1960’s, a time when women didn’t shuffle around in Uggs and flip-flops… so I guess I just feel more comfortable in heels than anything else, because I know with a nice pair of heels, I look attractive and put together.
As high maintenance as that might sound, though, I don’t think it’s fair to categorize me like that - for, despite the heels and my love of clothing and makeup, at the end of the work day, I’d rather go to the pub for a beer, or hit the golf course (sans heels, of course) than do something stereotypically high-maintenance, like going out for martinis or an expensive dinner.
April 21st, 2008 at 12:06 pm
I think it’s hard to get so much from just what shoes someone is wearing at the moment, unless they’re wearing a standout pair of some kind. If I’m wearing my purple Chie Miharas or my bright yellow low heels, it tells you a lot more about me than if I’m in the loafers I am wearing today, which communicate “today I anticipated that I was going to walk to lunch and around the park and then go to the hardware store after work” rather than anything about my personality.
May 1st, 2008 at 9:50 am
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