You can tell a lot about a person from their choice of shoes but what people think about others’ choice in footwear is almost always coloured by their own tastes, opinions and experiences. They say that you can’t judge a book by its cover but in the case of shoes you probably can except that you will never see the whole story.

Take me for instance. Unless I am socialising and trying to look my best, my default shoes are trainers.  My trainers are generally Skechers or styles designed for running. When I am dressing up I usually opt for boots rather than shoes. So what does that say about me? Some might say that I lack elegance. Others might pick up on the running shoes and guess that I am a fitness freak. Well I do run most days so that bit is right at least but the primary factor behind my footwear choices is my awkward feet. I have gout which means that tight fitting shoes are very painful and I have wide feet and narrow ankles so shoes tend not to fit very well hence the boots. I know how to be elegant but my feet won’t play the game!

Brands

I am guessing that there are a lot of people out there who have far from a free choice when it comes to their shoes simply because of one foot condition or another. Those conditions are things that other people simply will not see. We would all like to waltz around in elegant designer shoes but if they are too painful or don’t fit then you simply can’t go there. Of course some shoe brands are expensive and beyond the means of many so if you see someone wearing Jimmy Choos that tells you at least that their bank accounts are healthy as their feet.

Some brands are considered cool and others decidedly not, so the choice of a particular brand could tell you that the wearer is fashion conscious or has a natural sense of style. On the other hand it could tell you that they are mugs and prepared to pay over the odds for something with a desirable label. It depends on how you see the world and what your value system is.

From Work to the Street

Actually many of the coolest shoes started life as work wear. Doc Martens are a great example of this trend. One minute they are working boots for those who spend their lives on their feet, the next they are the first choice of successive youth cultures and the epitome of cool. Go figure! At least comfortable can also be cool!

Quiet Confidence

Barbour shoes are also cool but not because they are glamorous or comfortable, although they are comfortable.  Their lofty status probably has more to do with the coolness of Barbour jackets which has seen everything that carries the Barbour brand climb up the coolness scale. Barbour shoes are classic yet contemporary and somewhat understated so one could surmise that the wearers are not attention seekers and feel confident in their own skin.

Conclusions

You can tell a lot about a person by their shoes but you only ever get a few chapters of the story. People’s footwear choices are dictated by taste, the condition of their feet, their lifestyle and their finances and that is a hell of a combination to unravel! If you factor in your own prejudices then you have to admit that you are unlikely to make all of the right assumptions.

Article by Sally Stacey