From Theresa May’s leopard-print kitten heels to Ken Clarke’s scuffed loafers, shoes can make a statement.

Now researchers from the University of Kansas say you can also judge age, gender, social status and emotional makeup and political leanings. In fact in tests, according to news reports, 63 students shown a picture of shoes could guess 90% of the owner’s characteristics.

So what are you shod in today – and what does it say about you? Are Guardian readers all sandal-and-sock wearers? (liberals are said, by the reports to favour scruffy, cheaper shoes) Or are you an extrovert who wears towering heels?

How to tell a good sole: You really can judge a person by their
shoes….and you do not need to look at anything else

By Eddie Wrenn

PUBLISHED: 05:55 EST, 12 June
2012 | UPDATED: 08:14 EST,
12 June 2012

Look into my eyes: Can you tell this is a man, probably an
office worker, who is neat and tidy?

A quick experiment for you: Look down at your
shoes right now.

What were you wearing, sandals? Shiny,
well-polished shoes? High heels? Nice shoes but a little scuffed around the
edges?

Well, whatever your choices, this experiment
shows that you really can judge a person by their shoes … and you do not need
to see anything else to do so.

Psychologists from the University of
Kansas found that the style, value, colour
and condition of the footwear can paint a picture of the owner’s emotional,
political and other vital personality traits.

It is such a giveaway that in the tests,
observers who were shown a picture of a pair of shoes guessed around 90 per cent
of the wearer’s personal characteristics.

63 students looked at photographs showing 208
different pairs of shoes belonging to volunteers in the experiment.

Each of the volunteers filled in a personality
questionnaire and each was told to provide their most commonly worn shoes for
the experiment.

The observers were asked to look at each pair
and guess the gender, age and social status of the owner, researchers reported
to the Journal of Research in Personality.

This including whether the owner was an
extrovert or introvert, liberal leaning or conservative, their emotional
stability, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness.

The team reported: ‘Shoes convey a thin but
useful slice of information about their wearers.

‘Shoes serve a practical purpose, and also
serve as nonverbal cues with symbolic messages. People tend to pay attention to
the shoes they and others wear.

‘Shoes have great variety of styles, brands,
looks, and functions. Because of this variety, shoes can carry individual
difference information, but do they?

‘We suggest that the answer is
yes.’

What do these say? A lady’s shoes for a night out? Men’s
loafers for a casual day out?

Some of the clues are obvious. Expensive shoes
suggest high earners, flash and colourful pairs belong to extroverts.

Shoes that may not be new but are immaculate
belong to conscientious types.

Other clues are less obvious. Practical and functional shoes belong to agreeable
people, ankle boots are worn by aggressive personalities and calm personalities
wear uncomfortable looking shoes.

The most accurate ratings were for age, gender
and income followed by their emotional stability and agreeableness.

For psychologists, emotional stability is
vital as it includes a fear of abandonment, rejection issues and the ability to
cope with different kinds of relationships.

Those with ‘attachment anxiety’ where they
worried about their relationships, tended to have brand new and well kept
shoes.

This may be because they worry so much about
their appearance and what others may think of them.

Liberal thinkers, who many think of as sandal
wearing hippies, did not surprise. They really do wear scruffier and less
expensive shoes, said the research.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2158076/How-tell-good-sole-You-really-judge-person-shoes–need-look-else.html#ixzz1xhaBdZZq