# Men: do you notice a woman's nail polish and/or shoes? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 1, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101 "2011-03-01T20:29:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101/61 "2011-03-02T14:47:19Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Most days all I do is apply foundation and concealer so it doesn’t really look like I’m made up, but I am. You know, I never saw it expressed this way, but it makes sense. Even the clean-cut no-makeup look on women if examined closely would probably find perfectly trimmed nails and a clear polish. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101/62 "2011-03-02T15:16:37Z")
I voted for my lover, who is not a Doper. I am with him right now because of his foot fetish. He is very much into red toenails (matching manicure), slutty hooker heels, and way too much slutty makeup. If I show up for a tryst and my pedicure isn’t exactly perfect (or not done, which hasn’t happened), he will notice and he will point it out. And there’s certain… consequences (to which I delightedly consent ;)) for slacking on the “rules.” Most, if not more like 99%, of the men I’ve been with generally do not notice any of those things one way or the other. Some of 'em like fingernails, but aren’t quite as obsessed about it as this guy is. This is fine with me and I’m enjoying being with this guy immensely… because he is as into shoes as I am. What red-blooded woman _wouldn’t_ love to go shoe shopping with her lover? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101/63 "2011-03-02T16:15:44Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > I voted for my lover Every time you use that word, I can’t get [these people](http://www.dvdverdict.com/images/reviewpics/willferrell04.jpg) out of my head… ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101/64 "2011-03-02T16:24:20Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Every time you use that word, I can’t get [these people](http://www.dvdverdict.com/images/reviewpics/willferrell04.jpg) out of my head… I don’t have permission to access that server. ☹ I use the word because he’s not really my boyfriend, he’s definitely not my partner, he’s more than a good friend… and “fuckbuddy” seems so… crass. Although that would be the accurate term at this point. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101/65 "2011-03-02T16:43:09Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > I don’t have permission to access that server. ☹ Hmm. Try [this](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dvdverdict.com/images/reviewpics/willferrell04.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/snlferrelldip.php&usg=__5ArZOzmdZ6pW_RNBIJlhRVYVnOA=&h=474&w=632&sz=77&hl=en&start=18&zoom=1&tbnid=pyGUxobQMleGYM:&tbnh=121&tbnw=161&ei=8HJuTYXWMMWEtgeBoNz2Dg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dthe%2Blovers%2Bsnl%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D559%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C228&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=722&vpy=274&dur=626&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=129&ty=134&oei=6XJuTY--NcSXtwelrLyNDw&page=2&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:18&biw=1280&bih=559) instead. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101/66 "2011-03-02T19:28:58Z")
I notice all of the things listed in the poll: makeup, nail polish and shoes. It’s not that I actually care about these things, I just notice details about every person I am in direct contact with. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101/67 "2011-03-02T22:44:43Z")
My boyfriend notices all those things and has an opinion on everything about a woman’s appearance. I don’t wear any makeup 99% of the time, rarely wear my fancy shoes, and only recently did I start doing anything with my nails except cutting them down past the quick. Safe to say he prefers the ‘natural look’. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101/68 "2011-03-03T01:21:04Z")
Make up definitely. Every guy does, even if he doesn’t say so, simply because he doesn’t realize when they are wearing makeup. Not wearing makeup != not wearing deep blue eye shadow and ridiculous blush. Foundation does wonders for everyone, and nearly every woman wears some. Nails. Not a chance. I could not tell you the state of the nails of the last 1000 women I found attractive. Shoes. Again, no. Couldn’t tell you what they were wearing. The effect of high heels is drastically overstated, and only really works for a certain type of woman. If your the cute type (think uh… the chick that played Juno) high heels will only hurt your appearance. Hair- Definitely because it defines the face. In my case, hair is something that can only hurt you. In other words, so long as you don’t have a crappy haircut I won’t care either way. Clothes- Definitely. The two biggest things, and the things that annoy me with most before/after photos, is a persons smile and glasses. In those makeover shots, the before always has some crappy smile, while the after always has a real nice one. The second biggest change is normally glasses to contacts. Maybe it’s because I am a huge smile/eyes guy, but those are always the biggest changes, and have little to do with make up or other accessories. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101/69 "2011-03-03T01:57:07Z")
I notice the nail polish and find it attractive if well done and in a shade that looks good on them. I notice it and find it unattractive if they have half worn polish or a gross black or purple shade. I notice high heels and find those attractive. I notice pointy-assed shoes and find them repulsive. I notice open toed shoes with bare legs and find it a major turnoff. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101/70 "2011-03-03T03:02:56Z")
I notice it all. This is because I am physically interested in the _entire_ woman. Which, of course, makes me as good as a flaming homo in our culture. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101/71 "2011-03-03T03:29:26Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > It’s hilarious to me that three or four _women_ have come into this thread and started saying: YOU NOTICE! YOU NOTICE! > > Didn’t I specifically ask the opinion of men? You notice, you notice. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101/72 "2011-03-03T03:48:05Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > I certainly notice them, although probably not in the way you were thinking of. I notice them all too. The poll should have asked our sexual orientation. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101/73 "2011-03-03T04:41:21Z")
Shoes? I prefer flip flops, flats, or bare feet Nails? I dont much care, as posted up thread the super long ones with the Mona Lisa painted on them just scream trashy and I suppose ragged chewed ones would be kinda gross too. Make up? depends on the girl, I know some who go without and are smoking hot others who wear way to much and dont realize how much better they look with the volume turned down to 5 instead of 11. and whoever said all the ones with nice legs/asses are wearing heals? I suspect you just like whatever look that is. there a tons of women with smoking hot legs/asses wearing plain old sneakers. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101/74 "2011-03-03T05:40:06Z")
For my answer, I’m going to define “notice” like this: I meet a woman and exchange pleasantries briefly. We then get distracted with something else and move on. **Argent Towers** then walks up to me and says, what did her [shoes/makeup/nails] look like? Odds are, the only thing I’ll notice about her makeup is the color of the lipstick and eye shadow. If the rest is done well, it’s invisible. I will only notice her nails if she was trying to make me see them or if they were unusual in some way. The odds are excellent that I won’t be able to tell you anything about her shoes (color, heel height, open vs. closed, etc.) whatsoever. Note that my answers might have been different a few decades ago before I got married… ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101/75 "2011-03-03T06:33:59Z")
I do notice sometimes, but if I notice consciously and early, it may not be a GOOD noticing. Noisy klattery klonky shoes, or tottery stilt-looking sillyshoes. Overly showy / overly gendered painted nails. Painted up in makeup. Etc. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101/76 "2011-03-03T19:12:50Z")
I notice the makeup. I don’t like foundation (that stuff that goes over the whole face.) A little or no makeup is best to me. Nails I might notice in passing, but only if they’re unusually colored or long. Shoes, not so much unless they’re something weird. ---
**Author:** ![ripopgome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a698b9/32.png) [@ripopgome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ripopgome)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101/77 "2011-03-03T23:13:51Z")
I don’t specifically look at hair, makeup, etc. If a woman “needs” makeup and does it well, I’d say that’s a plus. I don’t care about shoes, although admit high heels make a woman look sexier, but limited to special occasions is fine by me. Oh and flip-flops belong on the beach, people! They are NOT sexy to me at all, even the “nice” ones. And please stop wearing them to the office, it’s not pretty nor professional. Ugh. Hair, I like my wife’s hair simply pulled back into a ponytail, although apparently this is the “crappiest” look (according to her). I like it when she does it up too, though, and I notice, but it’s not a major attractiveness factor. HOWEVER, I am a total sucker for nice nails. Not ridiculously long, but anything between “a bit past the end of the finger” and “almost ridiculous” is close to a requirement for me to think you’re “hot”. I might think you’re _attractive_ otherwise, but I need pretty, well-manicured nails to get me really going. Too short and ugh, sorry, not digging you. Bitten? Ugh, disgusting (and I bite my nails, and I think it’s gross on me too, so at least I’m consistent.) Crappy-looking fakes? No dice there either… get it done nice and we can talk 🙂 Typically with meeting / looking at women I glance at their face and then it’s straight to their nails. If the nails ain’t doing it for me, I’m instantly turned off, unless she is really beautiful in other ways (face, figure, personality) to “make up” for it (and even then, nothing makes up for bitten nails). Seriously. I know it’s crazy, and most guys aren’t like me with this, but it’s true. I sort of wish it weren’t, and I’m to some extent ashamed of it since it seems like a kind of freaky fetish thing (and, it is, but intellectually I shouldn’t be ashamed of it, I think). My wife puts up with this, and used to really maintain her nails nicely, but since the kids mostly slacks on the polish part, but at least continues to grow her nails reasonably long (and she has beautiful nails, even unpolished, but I prefer them polished 100x). I wish she were like the women who are really into their nails and keeping them done, I’d happily pay for the salon time. But I totally understand that being a mom is job 1 and catering to my beauty whim is not a top priority 🙂 Still, I can describe the nails of just about any women I have seen recently. I’ll pick the checkout lane with the cashier that has a nice manicure so I can get a good look. I’ll occasionally compliment a (random) woman on her nails as well, but not often, as I am afraid they’ll think I’m being skeezy (their reaction is almost always more surprise that someone noticed, and appreciation though). And the “funky french” thing that is somewhat popular, for example pink/clear, with the tips in a color other than white, for example red or blue or black, which I understand a lot of people consider ‘trashy’, I just find insanely hot. Nail art too, as long as it’s not kiddie-themed. Oh and funnily enough I don’t care about feet/toenails at all, except that they be clean. If they are pedicure etc., fine, but not a big deal either way. Ok, yeah, I’m a freak. I can live with that 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101/78 "2011-03-04T19:43:35Z")
I don’t notice shoes. If I notice the makeup or nails, they are too much. What I do notice are face, her hair and her boobs. When I complained to my ophthalmologist that my cataracts were getting to where I could no longer see a woman’s face at 30 feet well enough to judge it, his answer (I am not making this up) was, “So look at her tits.” He was right too, in the sense that I can judge them at a much greater distance than I can judge her face. ---
**Author:** ![fjs1fs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9e8a1a/32.png) [@fjs1fs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fjs1fs)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101/79 "2011-03-04T19:53:13Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > That’s exactly what I was going to say. You’re noticing the overall package, which consists of many details that make up a becoming big picture. If a woman were wearing no make up, unflattering clothes and bummy shoes, she wouldn’t look as attractive as she would if she were composed more stylishly. Of course everyone notices loud, horrible make up and styling, but generally if a woman wears subdued but pretty make up and clothing, you will notice the intended effect (increased attractiveness) without recognizing the details that created the effect. If we took the same woman and dressed her in Style A, which comprises of nice shoes, natural-looking make up, and neatly groomed nails, then dressed her in Style B, ugly shoes, no make up, and chipped nails, your preference would be A. > > Guys here don’t like heels, because they’re weird, but other than that, yeah. There are guys who don’t like heels? Bizarre! (Guy speaking here.) ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101/80 "2011-03-04T20:13:11Z")
61% of male respondents on the last poll here said they did like heels. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-do-you-notice-a-womans-nail-polish-and-or-shoes/573101.md?page=5)