Feet are actually really great indicators of how a person is feeling. It is said that this is because they are further from the brain so are harder to control; however it is also impacted by the fact we just don’t think about them as much. When we are thinking about how to react to a situation, we consider our words, our facial expressions and probably even our hand gestures, but we don’t pay much attention to our lower extremities. There are several signals you can look for when looking for meaning.

Practical Examples

If feet are pointing away from the speaker and towards the door it indicates they wish to leave. Pointing them away from the speaker and towards another person signals they would rather be speaking to that person. Jiggling feet, such as tapping their foot when standing or twitching a hanging foot when seated signal impatience with the situation.

Knotted ankles are a clear sign a person is lacking in confidence. This signal is increased when the knotted ankles are hidden under the chair. A study by Nierenberg and Calero found locked ankles were a phenomenon commonly seen in nervous fliers, dental patients, theater patients, defendants and interviewees.

Another gesture involving feet is entwined legs. This is where the top of one foot hooks itself behind the other leg. It is a sign of insecurity and is mainly seen in women. Once the person begins to feel more comfortable they will likely move in to parallel stance (two feet next to each other on the floor) and then into straddle stance (similar to parallel, but with feet spaced wider apart).

One final gesture that may be seen in feet is “tippy-taps”. This is often seen in dogs when they are excited about something. They jiggle about, tapping their feet, often in excited circles. While not quite so obvious in humans you may see a person who is overjoyed, doing their own mini happy dance with their feet.

For more information on stance and uncomfortable movements, check out the blog 9 Cues a Person is Not Being Genuine.