Geoffrey Beattie
Turns out, it’s our feet that do the talking when it comes to body language, according to new research which reveals a secret language of feet.
From lying to sexual attraction, nervousness or dominance, unbeknown to us our feet and choice of footwear are speaking loud and clear.
British shoe-makers to the stars, Jeffery-West, challenged Big Brother psychologist Professor Geoffrey Beattie to put his best foot forward and de-code what the tell-tale signs are that men and women can’t hide.
His findings are set to put liars and cheaters on the back foot and help the innocent put their best foot forward.
“The secret language of feet can reveal a great deal about our personality, what we think of the person we’re talking to and even our emotional and psychological state, they are a fascinating channel of nonverbal communication,” said Professor Beattie.
While body language has long been accepted through body poses, gestures and eye movements, no-one has really concentrated on what our feet and shoes reveal before.
“Compiling this research has been a revelation. The reason our feet may be giving us away is that they are part of the body from which we have the least internal feedback. Whilst people might know what their facial expression or hands might be imparting, they will often have no idea whether their feet are moving or the messages their feet are sending out,” added Professor Beattie.
Now Jeffery-West and Professor Beattie have teamed up to reveal the top five signs that will help Brits decode this secret language.
1. Sole-mates?
Does she fancy you? When a woman is sexually attracted to you her feet do the talking. Whilst she laughs, look for foot movement away from her body and an open leg posture. The more open the posture, the more attracted to you. Crossed feet or feet tucked under her body, it’s a no.
Men on the other hand don’t signal sexual attraction with their feet, look for submissive behaviour – a head tilt and leaning forward means he’s interested.
2. Doesn’t have a leg to stand on
Politicians, cheaters and conmen had better watch out as the Jeffery-West* research reveals how to tell when someone is lying and is more accurate in some cases than lie-detectors.
Contrary to what was previously thought (that legs and foot movements speed up when people are lying), they are in fact unnaturally still. It seems that we try to unconsciously attempt to control parts of the body which may reflect nervousness.
If you want to tell if someone is lying, establish a baseline by talking to them normally and watch what they do with their feet. Then ask the tricky question you want to know the truth about and watch their feet again. Look for a decrease in movement, if you see it, the likelihood is that they are fibbing.
3. Putting your foot in it
When it comes to nervousness, the Jeffery-West research reveals the sexes are once again divided.
When men are genuinely anxious (but not because they are lying) they show their nerves by increasing their foot movements. As they become more comfortable and more relaxed, their foot movements lessen.
Women, however, somehow manage to inhibit the movement of their feet when nervous and only when they become more comfortable in a situation do they allow their feet to release nervous energy and move freely.
4. Feet First
When you’re first introduced to someone, their feet can reveal what type of person they are. The Jeffery-West research has already revealed how to tell a liar, a flirt or when someone is nervous but you can also spot other personality traits.
Alpha males and females have a low level of leg and foot movement because they like to dominate and control the conversation and the same goes for their body.
Extroverts do likewise but for different reasons, while shy people have frequent movements.
Arrogant people also keep their bodies more in check and use less foot movement.
5. Best foot forward
The Jeffery-West research also revealed that it’s true, women do judge men on the shoes they’re wearing and it’s first impressions that count. In fact, it’s so crucial to women it can make or break whether they are attracted to you.
Social judgement on the basis of footwear is made fast and unconsciously, based upon: how clean the shoes are, the style of the shoe, whether they are demonstratively cheap or expensive and whether they match the rest of what the man is wearing.
So men, if you want to impress in a flash, wear good, clean shoes which compliment the rest of your outfit.
Challenging Professor Beattie to interpret the language of feet was the brainchild of Jeffery-West founders Mark Jeffery and Guy West.
The duo started Jeffery-West in 1987 in Northampton and now have five stores including the flagship Piccadilly Arcade store. Each pair of Jeffery-West shoes are meticulously crafted in England using traditional techniques yet feature the signature twist of originality that make them a favourite with stars ranging from Tom Jones and Jenson Button to Daniel Craig and Paul Weller.
“Shoemaking is our life and we’ve both been fascinated with what your feet and footwear say. It’s the first thing we notice when we meet people so we were delighted to team up with Geoffrey and uncover the science behind it,” said Guy West.
As well as two London stores, shops in Manchester, Northampton and Leeds, Jeffery-West also has a diffusion line - Jeffery-West Black Line available in Selfridges and Harvey Nichols among other top stores.
Jeffery-West signature mark is the much copied and admired cleft heel, combined with using only the finest materials and design twists such as hand burnished uppers, diamond detailing, gothic architecture and George Cross references and even song lyrics etched in the soles.