Granted, feet aren’t the most attractive of things or generally a natural talking point, but it turns out they’re actually pretty revealing.
From your foot shape and smell to your toe length and ticklishness rating, foot reading can uncover everything from personality traits, intelligence levels and even serious health issues.
Are you ready to find out what your feet say about you?
Foot shape
When it comes to classifying feet, there are four basic foot shapes that we all tend to fall into: the Roman Foot (1), the Square Foot (2), the Greek Foot (3) and the Egyptian Foot (4).
According to The Athlete’s Foot – who see more than your average feet, let’s be honest – the Greek Foot (3) is the most common shape with 43 percent of Aussies reportedly having a longer second toe than big toe.
According to folklore, the Greek Foot (3) – aka Fire Foot or Flame Foot – shape denotes an active, creative type who’s opinionated, enthusiastic and good at motivating others. However they can also get stressed out easily due to their spontaneous and impulsive lifestyle.
If you have slightly wide feet with straight toes that don’t overtake your big toe in length (even though your second and third toe are fairly long), you’re classified as a Roman Foot (1). You’re known for being outgoing, super sociable and a great public speaker. Work-wise, people with long third toes are said to be well-liked by their bosses as they’re resourceful and full of energy. You also live for new experiences so you love to travel.
Are all of your toes the same length? You’re a Square Foot (2) although you’re also sometimes called the Peasant Foot (sorry!). This foot shape is serious when it comes to decision-making, weighing up the pros and cons of each situation endlessly. Practical and reliable, this foot shape make great friends. Those with long fourth toes are also said to be incredibly caring.
If you’ve got thin feet with toes that neatly taper in size, your sole shape is the Egyptian Foot (4) which also goes by the name the Stretched Foot. Privacy is pretty important to them so don’t expect anyone with this foot shape to wear their heart on their sleeves. Because they often keep their emotions to themselves, this foot shape can be prone to mood swings and seemingly impulsive behaviour.
Foot size
Unhappy with your teeny tiny feet? We doubt that. People with small feet are rumoured to love life and be happy with their lot, even though they’re said to have crazy-busy jobs. Meanwhile if you’ve got bigger feet, you have a strong desire to succeed. A Swedish study has even gone so far as predicting your life expectancy via your shoe size. Here’s what the study discovered:
Shoe size: Life expectancy
Size 4 (Aus 6): 64-69
Size 5 (Aus 7): 70-76
Size 6 (Aus 8): 77-82
Size 7 (Aus 9): 78-84
Size 8 (Aus 10): 73-75
Size 9 (Aus 11): 70-72
Size 10 (Aus 12): 67-70
Size 11 (Aus 13): 66-69
Foot width
Your feet can also give an indication of how hard you work – and not just from the calluses on your feet! People with wider feet are considered hard workers with a go, go go mentality, while those with more delicate, narrower feet prefer to delegate.
Arch assessment
Forget bad dancing, people with flat feet – with little or no arch – are known for being social butterflies who love to be surrounded by people. If you’ve got a high instep or pronounced arches – the official medial term is pes cavus – that can indicate independence and a high level of intellect, even if you are a bit of a dreamer.
Foot odour
Feet have 250,000 sweat glands – and can produce 500ml sweat a day – so it’s no surprise that smelly feet are a problem for many people. For the most part, keeping your feet clean, well ventilated and taking a break from closed-in, warm shoes where bacteria just loves to breed will help reduce the whiff, but if you’re still struggling with cheesy feet, see a GP as, in some cases, a persistant odour could be an indicator of a more serious health problem such as hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating).
Ticklish feet
You may find it annoying, but ticklish feet can actually be seen as a sign of good health. A leading US podiatrist, Dr. Michael Nirenberg, warns that feet lacking any ticklish sensations could indicate a problem with your nerve receptors caused by illnesses such as diabetes, arthritis, vitamin deficiencies or thyroid problems. So next time you’re moaning about being ticklish, be grateful that your nerve receptors are doing their job!
Did you know?
The average shoe size is now two sizes bigger than it was in the 1970s according to the UK’s College of Podiatry.
Kate Winslet was teased by Leonardo DiCaprio about her size 11 feet. “I would put my foot up and he would fall about laughing because my feet are exactly the same size as his. He referred to them as my canoes,” she said.
Darkened skin on your toe pads could indicate depression: “When people are depressed, they put all their weight on the front of their feet when walking,” says foot reader and author, Jane Sheehan.
20-year-old Jeison Orlando Rodriguez Hernandez from Venezuela currently holds the Guinness World Record for having the largest feet. He wears a size 26.
If one of your toes is squeezed underneath another it can signal that you have trust issues.
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