A new study shows you can judge a person by their shoes…and

1. A new study shows you can judge a person by their shoes…and you’d be right!

2. We can’t help judging other people by the shoes they wear. But a new study shows that we’re likely to judge correctly. We can accurately guess a person’s age and income from their footwear – and amazingly whether they would be a needy girlfriend or boyfriend.

3. "We were interested in how people are able to form quick first impressions," says study researcher Dr. Angela Bahns, an assistant professor of psychology at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Mass. Shoes are just one outward marker of an individual's personal style that may carry information about their personality traits, she says.

4. In the study, people took a photo of the shoes they wear most often, and completed an online personality test. Then another group of people looked at the photos and rated the owner’s personality, attachment style, political bent and demographic measures such as age, gender and family income.

5. Judging age, sex and income was a shoe in. Successful and wealthy men wear shoes that ooze style and quality. Those hard to do are sporting thongs, sneakers and cheap dress shoes.

6. Shoes are one avenue where people may be consciously (or unconsciously) expressing their personalities, suggests Naumann. "I think when people choose to wear a 'unique' shoe, they are hoping to convey that they are cool, style-conscious or open to being different," she points out.

7. Open to being different? Try customized shoes. Design a pair of custom shoes online and you are guaranteed to get footwear says you are special, or at least trying to be special.

8. Naumann says distinctive shoe choices probably do reveal something about the wearer, especially in special circumstances or events, such as graduations or weddings. You are what you wear. What are you wearing?