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Hey…what are you wearing right now?

When you’re meeting someone for the first time, we all have certain areas where our eyes wonder first, and first impressions can be made even before we get so far as “Hi, I’m…”. Everyone’s different in this respect, so while some people look at a persons whole face, others look into their eyes; for some guys, discreetly checking out a woman’s chest is something that has become an art in itself (mastery levels differ subject to practice). But being a naturally shy person, I don’t usually look directly at a person; I usually let my eyes wander downwards…to their shoes.

Now shoes are something that we all have, and while some may love them more than others, I’ve always seen a persons shoes as a means of their personal statement, a reflection of the type of person who buys them. Looking at clothes may seemingly have the same effect, but I think we choose our shoes with greater care than clothes, and besides, not everyone can wear the clothes they want to. (I’m sure that even residents in correctional facilities get to choose their footware, even if their wardrobe selection is somewhat limited).

It’s been often said that shoes can make or break an outfit, in the same way that your wheels can mean your car is “sick” or that other four-letter word starting with “s”. While not being a shoe aficionado myself, I still can’t help but notice that in this increasingly fashion conscious, consumer driven world that we live in, shoe makers these days are going for style as much as, if not more so than function. Back in the day, there were only two choices for us as kids to make; school shoes and runners, in which you ran to the store, ran for the ball, and ran for the train home. Now there are a plethora of different shoes for every occasion (and outfit) imaginable, from suede loafers to slide off, laceless runners. Royal Elastics, Camper, and Birkenstock are all popular right now, while everyone from DKNY to Diesal is trying to catch a share of our personal statement (and our money).

So where does this leave us? With so much choice, surely we must now be able to express ourselves in even more ways than ever before, which can only be a good thing right? Or is it? Does this huge amount of choice leave us, in fact, force us to think about just another ultimately banal subject (and leave us guys waiting even longer for the girls to get ready)?

This tyranny of choice in staying grounded has become so taxing…but no matter if your ideal pair of shoes are made by Prada or Dunlop, first impressions still count for something. It just all depends on who you are (or not) trying to impress. And who knows? You could be meeting that potentially special someone as soon as you look up from reading this column.

So…what are you wearing right now?