#1. Wear Proper Shoes (That Cover Your Feet)
On your first date, rest assured that women do not want to see your feet. We showed women all the popular sandals – KEENs, Crocs, Reef flip flops, Nike Slides, and Birkenstocks – and they all hated them in the context a first date. To them, wearing sandals on the first date says “I have no sense of style”. It also says that “I’m not taking you and or this date serious” which is never a good impression to give. Therefore, unless the first date is at the beach or at a hacky sack tournament, DO NOT WEAR SANDALS.
#2. Wear Leather Shoes, Preferably
When it comes to shoe-materials, women love leather. Of the shoes we showed to women, the top 7 shoes had leather uppers. Furthermore, among the top 14 voted men’s shoes, only two did not comprise of leather uppers – the All-Star Converse and Vans. On the other end of the spectrum, 7 of the least appealing shoes according to women were made of synthetic/plastic material. For the most part, there is nothing particularly pleasing about leather, only that they look really nice.
Therefore, by wearing leather shoes, women consider pick up on this and keep in mind that you are making an effort. As a golden rule, wear leather shoes; even in the case where your date is a vegan who you bet will be incensed with the thought of killing animals just to wear their skin. Leather shoes are a far better option than any other type of shoes you may have. As a bonus, your shoes might help steer clear of a boring and joyless relationship that will drain the life out of you.
#3. Refrain From Boots -Opt For Normal Shoes
Every man has his favorite boots brand, be it Timberlands, Clark’s chukkas, cowboy boots, or Red Wing chukkas. In the mind of a man, we tend to think that boots make us manly, and confident, therefore giving us a sexy aura. However, in the mind of a woman, things are not the same. They are rarely impressed by boots. In fact, of all the shows we showed women, the highest ranking boots were ranked at number 12 – Red Wing’s $300 Iron Ranger.
We are cognizant of the fact that there is plenty of cowboy lust to go around, which is shown even among our survey participants. However, unless you are a stalker, it is hard to know that a woman falls into this category before your first day. As such, stay clear of boots on your first date.
#4. Refrain From Wearing Athletic Shoes
There is a place for true athletic shoes. However, that place is not a date, especially the first date. While the low-key sneakers – Vans and Converse – scored Ok due to their stylish form, their counterparts – Brooks Walkers, Innove-8 cross-trainers, Merrell hiking shoes, KEENs, Instride shoes, or shoes for water-sports, Paleo training shoes, and FiveFingers – were all ranked among the bottom half by the women who took the survey.
Some men wear these types of shoes as a pointer to their fitness and or masculinity. However, women receive an entirely different message – poor fashion taste, disrespect for your date, and not caring enough to dress nicely, for instance. Moreover, if you want to display your masculinity and fitness, let your shoulders, chest, stomach, and jawline do the talking.
#5. Do Not Break The Bank
Among the top three, two shoes cost less than $100: The Dockers Gordon, which cost $50 and the Kenneth Cole Reaction that cost $98. Overall, 80% of the shoes in the survey cost less $200. Furthermore, shoe price had zero influence on the overall rating. Additionally, there was a low correlation between how much women thought the shoe cost and the actual cost.
With this in mind, you do not have to spend a great deal of money on shoe shopping. The shoe market is filled with reasonably priced, classic, and simple offerings that women find quite eye-pleasing. It is important to also keep in mind that women are not in a field study to determine how much money you spend on yourself.
#6. Stylish Shoes Are The Gold Standards
There is a prevailing perception of stylish shoes having a feminine or gay aura about them. As such, young men will refrain from such shoes at all cost. However, this is not true. Women perceive dressy, stylish, leather shoes as being more mature and masculine. Therefore, men wearing such shoes are considered as better capable of protecting the lady, as being more experienced sexually, and a befitting man. As a matter of fact, in our survey, the more stylish Kenneth Cole Oxford was rated as more manly than the combat styled boot – Red Wing Heritage’s Iron Ranger. The stylish Cole Haan Winter Saddle was rated as manlier than Red Wing Heritage’s Work chukka.
This point to the fact that women consider men who look well put together in terms of appearance as being more confident. With confidence epitomizing masculinity, being stylish is not such as bad thing
#7. Wear Shoes That Show You Went All Out
There are many men who think that getting laid on the first date boils down to looking casual and cool. As such, a large number of American men tend to inadvertently under-dress, thereby wearing shoes that are way too casual for a first date.
As a testament of the importance of wearing shoes that show you made an effort, consider this; in a survey, we described a hypothetical man on a lunch date at a local restaurant on a Saturday afternoon. In the circumstances, the guy is wearing a casual t-shirt or some matching apparel from illCurrency, quality jeans, and stylish shoes, and there was no complaint from the woman about the shoes making him appear overdressed.
Not many men know this, but women equate stylish shoes to “this man is out to please me, he respects me and has made an effort to look pleasant for me, he is interested in this date, and he is quite mature”. Many guys have the notion that dressing up equates to “desperation” but in reality, it is a pointer to confidence, maturity, and diligence. These are all things that women find attractive.
