Thread: Do you pay attention to peoples shoes?

After a very heated debate among friends i figured id make a poll about it online.

My points were:

- It doesent make any sense to remember or even care what shoes people wear.
- Only hardcore fashion people would need a practical reason to notice other peoples shoes.

I cant agree with my friends saying "You can know how rich people are by looking at their shoes" because what if someone goes for comfort? Also "Shoes look cool"? Personally ive only ever cared about how GOOD and comfy they are myself because ive always been thinking "who the hell pays attention to peoples shoes anyway?"

So what is your stance on peoples footwear, do you notice what shoes people wear?

Note: This post isnt about what shoes people like to wear, fashion etc. but feel free to share. But on the poll please just keep in mind if you NOTICE peoples shoes or not.

PS: Not sure how writing this on a science forum will turn out but oh well

what are shoes ?

Originally Posted by marnixR

what are shoes ?

I believe it's a kind of sweet pastry.

in which case, i've never had the pleasure of eating any

Apparently they have to be boiled a long time to be edible and I know of at least one case of a family actually living in one. :?

Of course. Beware of sandals with socks. A sure sign of a biased climate modeler.

Originally Posted by KALSTER

... I know of at least one case of a family actually living in one. :?

why should you want to live in a boiled shoe ? why not eat it (assuming it is edible) ?

Originally Posted by Raziell

- It doesent make any sense to remember or even care what shoes people wear.

So what is your stance on peoples footwear, do you notice what shoes people wear?

Clearly you are not in business. The quality and condition of people's shoes yields enormous insight into their character and professionalism. It doesn't matter if you do not wish it to be this way - it is that way. So, yes, in a business setting I place enormous importance on the shoes worn by clients, colleagues, prospective employees and salespersons.

pay particular attention to the degree of wear on the soles of shoes - that will tell them whether you're to be considered worthwhile or a beggar

Originally Posted by Ophiolite

Originally Posted by Raziell

- It doesent make any sense to remember or even care what shoes people wear.

So what is your stance on peoples footwear, do you notice what shoes people wear?

Clearly you are not in business. The quality and condition of people's shoes yields enormous insight into their character and professionalism. It doesn't matter if you do not wish it to be this way - it is that way. So, yes, in a business setting I place enormous importance on the shoes worn by clients, colleagues, prospective employees and salespersons.

But clothes should give the biggest impression/impact here? Are you saying if a guy with a great resumè wants a job in your firm and wears an expensive suit but 10$ shoes that would affect your desicion to hire or not him for example?

Personality and skillset is one thing but shoes? I know this is serious in the businessworld and considering that people this high up in the economy ladder are very materialistic, id never thought theyd be that shallow. (ofcourse i dont expect a lawyer to wear worn jogging shoes either or anything that extreme)

Cant say im not biased here as i can honestly not remember the shoes of a single person other than myself.

Is it really so bad that a guy high up in the businessworld can take a look at your shoes and say what you earn in a year?

Originally Posted by Raziell

But clothes should give the biggest impression/impact here? Are you saying if a guy with a great resumè wants a job in your firm and wears an expensive suit but 10$ shoes that would affect your desicion to hire or not him for example?

Of course it would affect my decision. Several points to consider: firstly, screw the resume. All that di was get him the interview. I'm hiring a person not a resume. Can he walk the talk? That's the question.

So he has an expensive suit, but crap shoes. What does that tell me? For one thing it lets me know he doesn't apply consistent standards. I know that if he has written a proposal for a client I shall have to check it from front to back to find where he has left in the equivalent of $10.00 shoes.

Secondly, you seem fixated on price. I am talking finish. Well polished, unscuffed $45 shoes get a plus vote, scruffy, mud coated $800 shoes get a no vote.

The interview is important to the inteviewee and the company. Turning up in scruffy shoes or any other careless element of clothing is disrespectful. There is an accepted formula to be followed in interview situations. Sloppiness says the interviewee does not understand that formula. It raises the question, how much about the rest of the unwritten laws of business does he or she not understand. Are we going to have to invest six months in educating them to the basics?

Let's say I am interviewing people for a programmers position. The individual will never see a client. They will rarely see any other member of staff. Here are two scenarios. Two guys turn up in each. In scenario one Mr. A demonstrates that he has experinece of exactly the kind we want. He shows genuine interest. He has good qualifications. His dress sense is, however, lamentable. Mr. B, has limited qualifications, Has never done the precise kind of work we plan and seems slightly vague about his interest in the job. However he is neatly groomed, smartly dressed and his shoes carry a high polish. I hire Mr. A without a moments hesitation.

In scenario two Mr. A is exactly the same as in one, but Mr. B has the same educational qualifications, the same interest in the job and the same kind of experience as Mr.A. The only distinguishing feature is that he has made a real effort to conform to corporate standards in dress and shoes. I'm pretty sure he will revert sneakers and T-shirts if we hire him, but I also know if I have to parade him in front of top brass to present something that he will dress for the occasion. I hire Mr. B. Not because he has polished shoes, but because he has everything the other candidate had and polished shoes.

because he has everything the other candidate had and polished shoes.

How about suede? :P

polished shoes for polished minds
suede shoes for ... whatever

still i think the fixation with shoes, common though it may be in recruitment circles, is a fixation too far
it reminds me of the top bloke from British Airways who couldn't take Richard Branson seriously because he wasn't wearing a tie - now there may be several reasons for not taking Richard Branson seriously, but not wearing a tie shouldn't be one of them

I don't necessarily judge a person based on their shoes, but I always check out the shoes.

When I see someone who has nice shoes, I usually have a desire to steal their shoes for myself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HjIljJd-o0

Originally Posted by KALSTER

because he has everything the other candidate had and polished shoes.

How about suede? :P

They would find it difficult to persuede me to hire them. :wink:

Very early in my working career, while running a large Resort Complex (Brookhaven) in Texas, a prospective employer asked me to check out a larger complex, Finn and Feather along the Louisiana/Texas Border. After doing so and I've never forgot this, the one question he asked after my going there was, "Should I fly in or drive in", surely looking stupid, he continued "to impress the owners". Many years later, when purchasing a 80k$ Truck to add to my small fleet of 7 others, the salesman asked "how are you expecting to pay" for the big rig, and baffled, I realized I must not have looked the part, he was use to.

I'm sure appearance plays a roll in life, probably important to the jobs you get, the spouse, the friends and associates you end up mingling with, no doubt many other things, but I'm just as sure those that superficially judge people, were not the ones I wished to impress, certainly not associate with.

Ophie; In my hiring days, I don't think I ever looked close at a resume (agree with that), but I hope I never pre-judged from an appearance. My personal choice for such decisions, were based on work or personal references, which I always checked, often hiring because of a reason for a bad reference. In fairness, we were no doubt operated on opposite ends of the pay scale.

No, I didn't get the Larger Resort or the pay raise, but did get that truck....

hardly.. but i pay attention to my own footwear

The way a person dresses says a lot about the person. So if you're interested in having some control over the message you convey to the people around you, it's important to pay attention to how you dress. Conversely, if you don't care what other people think about you, you will surely convey that by ignoring basic fashion sense.

Like it or not, poor choice in footwear really does stick out, and can ruin an otherwise good outfit. To give an extreme example, it's simply impossible to look good in a suit if you're wearing sneakers. The look conveys that you are not a person to be taken seriously. Meanwhile, a nice suit with scuffed-up, but otherwise appropriate shoes conveys that you fall just short of being able to completely take care of yourself.

Bottom line--being able to put together a good outfit communicates to those around you that you are in sufficient control over your life to pay attention to details.

There are probably big differences depending of the region of the country. East coast mid-Atlantic tends to be more formal. If your being hired in San Fran it probably doesn't matter the types of shoes you wear, or likely to be less important.

If I could count the number of times we've had discussions about what business formal means I'd be a wealthy man--that interpretation usually comes down to who's making the call and where they come from. Fortunately I usually have an out--which is just wear my formal military uniform with or without the coat--pretty simple for this simple man.

Regarding business formal: isn't that a no-brainer for a man? Namely, suit and tie?

I agree that business casual is a nebulous realm.

I wear scrubs and white sneakers at work, it's all about the comfort.

My employer is also fairly lenient on the kind of scrubs, their only condition being that they be a solid colour instead of having patterns or designs on them.

So, I wear cheap navy blue 20 dollar Wal-Mart unisex scrubs.

it's like with clothes, not everybody wears clothes that match their personality, but they are usually a good indicator of their personality. like me, I have a scruffy jacket, it's well worn, and has patches, but I keep it clean and repaired. keeping the jacket even when it's worn could mean I'm a dedicated person.same with shoes. you just have to be sure to think outside the box.

This shows me, just how far out of today's mainstream I am....I have no idea what "scrubs" are, and could only guess informal wearing attire.

One method I used, for hiring in low end jobs, was to working behind a counter in one of the C Stores, I was managing. How people look and act on one side the counter, often reflects exactly how they would be on the other side. While in the Austin area (diversified population) I must have hired 10 people this way and every one of them worked out well, to say nothing of having to go through a process, which my boss (the chain owner) hated....

As for area differentials, NO I don't think that is important. If your applying for a type job, in NYC or Fresno, say Bank Teller, the best bet would be looking the part. Whatever "scrubs" are may not be appropriate.

Originally Posted by jackson33

This shows me, just how far out of today's mainstream I am....I have no idea what "scrubs" are, and could only guess informal wearing attire.
<...>
Whatever "scrubs" are may not be appropriate.

Hi Jackson,

Scrubs are just a form or utility workwear... the items you tend to see on nurses and hospital workers, usually in light blue or green. There very comfortable, durable, and yet cheap since they have to be replaced all of the time with people puking and bleeding on them.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-scrubs.htm

Originally Posted by zazzerak

it's like with clothes, not everybody wears clothes that match their personality, bu you just have to be sure to think outside the box.

Most companies are hiring people to work inside a box.

Originally Posted by salsaonline

The way a person dresses says a lot about the person. So if you're interested in having some control over the message you convey to the people around you, it's important to pay attention to how you dress. Conversely, if you don't care what other people think about you, you will surely convey that by ignoring basic fashion sense.

Like it or not, poor choice in footwear really does stick out, and can ruin an otherwise good outfit. To give an extreme example, it's simply impossible to look good in a suit if you're wearing sneakers. The look conveys that you are not a person to be taken seriously. Meanwhile, a nice suit with scuffed-up, but otherwise appropriate shoes conveys that you fall just short of being able to completely take care of yourself.

Bottom line--being able to put together a good outfit communicates to those around you that you are in sufficient control over your life to pay attention to details.

Right, just dont forget that there is a difference of dressing to let people know that, and dressing correctly because you want to for yourself.