We all know the importance of making a great first impression, but did you know the first thing we are judged on is often our shoes? Our footwear can reveal our age, social status, income bracket and even our political ideology. Think about it: Birkenstock wearers are stereotypically young and easy-going and, as such, are more likely to possess liberal views. On the other “foot”, high-end designer heels are tied to wealth and, generally, assertive personalities and more conservative stances.
In 2012, a group of researchers at the University of Kansas conducted a study on this theory to determine if we can evaluate a person by their footwear. In the study, they showed participants photographs of strangers’ shoes and asked them to guess distinct personality traits. The participants were able to correctly assess 90 per cent of the wearer’s characteristics. Next time you slide on your go-to pair of runners, you might want to take a closer look. “Considering overall patterns of perception, they [the researchers] concluded
