I write and speak on body language primarily to business audiences – and my recent article, “Why Feet Don’t Lie,” was about detecting workplace cues from foot positions. Still, I found it interesting to come across this research from a University of Manchester psychologist, Geoffrey Beattie (and funded by a UK shoe company) that looks at foot talk in a more social setting. Some of his findings:
• If a woman likes a man, and is laughing, her feet will move away from her body and she will have an open leg position. If a woman’s feet move in this way when she laughs, it is one of the most powerful signals that she likes you. If her legs are crossed and her feet are tucked under her body, then she isn’t interested.
• Liars keep their feet unnaturally still, to try to distract people from their fibbing.
• If a man is nervous, he will increase foot movement. If a woman is nervous, she will keep her feet still.
• Alpha males and females have a low level of foot movement, as do extroverts and arrogant people. But shy people have more frequent movement.
• Women do judge men by the look of their shoes – how stylish, clean and expensive they look.