There’s an old notion that you can tell a lot about a man by the shoes he wears on his feet. Is it judgmental? Yes. Does it work? The jury’s still out on that one. Shoes are probably the single most important fashion accessory that we wear. Just like your clothes, your shoes show off your personal style and fashion sense. They also protect your feet, which is the important part. Since shoes are such a big part of our wardrobe, they must hold some kind of deeper significance, right? Perhaps they do. Let’s explore.
Taking Care of His Appearance
Shoes are an extension of your personal grooming and appearance. If you place a lot of emphasis on looking polished and put together, you probably wouldn’t wear mud-covered sneakers in public. If a man cares about the way he looks, including his shoes, he wants to look his best. In this way, his shoes can give some clues into his personality. If he isn’t concerned about dirty or beat up-looking shoes, he doesn’t place too much importance on looks. Although this could also mean two totally different things: that he doesn’t care at all about how he looks, or he just realizes that there are more important things so he doesn’t want to try too hard.
Where is He Going?
Men can wear many different types of shoes. They can wear boots, dress shoes, sneakers, sandals, loafers, and a host of other styles. They’re all appropriate for different occasions. If you want to judge a man by his shoes, you need the context of where he is or where he’s going to when he’s wearing them. It wouldn’t be fair to judge them without that knowledge. If he’s wearing dress shoes to the mall, he might care a little bit too much about how he looks. If he wears boots everywhere he goes, he doesn’t have much of a concern about style. If he’s wearing sneakers at the gym, that’s a good thing.
His Shoe Closet
If you happen to get the opportunity to peak into a man’s closet and see all of his shoes, you can get some rare and valuable insight. If a man has many different pairs of shoes, it could mean he’s overly concerned with appearance, or that he likes to be prepared for any occasion. If all he owns are sneakers, he might be competitive, a fitness buff, or he might prefer comfort to style. The range of his shoes could signify the range of his personality. A diverse collection could mean he’s a deep person, while a limited collection could mean he’s simpler.
The Bottom Line
When you consider it, a man’s shoes don’t really reveal much about his personality. The only thing they tell you about is his fashion sense, and you can’t tell what type of person he really is by his style. Lots of men aren’t too astute in the fashion department, so try not to judge their personalities by their footwear.
Michelle Leigh is a self described ‘Fashionista’ and freelance writer who enjoys covering topics from style to men. She is obsessive about her appearance and never leaves home without her cosmetic brushes handy!
Photo Credit: jan7ce