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Foot fetishism is a pronounced fetishistic sexual interest in human feet. This paraphilia is also called podophilia. It is also one of the most common fetishes and is male-dominant.
Scope of foot fetishism
A foot fetishist can be sexually aroused by viewing, handling, licking, tickling, sucking, sniffing or kissing the feet and/or toes of another person, or by having another person doing the same to their own feet. The fetishist response to the foot is the same or very similar to arousal at seeing genitals (or the sex-specific features like female breasts). Others enjoy having their genitals manipulated by their partner's feet to the point of orgasm or ejaculation (which is called a "footjob", analogous to the concept of a "handjob"), or merely being touched by feet or used as a foot-rest by another person.
A footjob (often shortened to "FJ") is also called a "toejob," "solejob" and "heeljob." Regardless of what part of the foot is used, it is often referred to as a footjob. The most common example of this involves someone placing both of their feet on their male partner's penis and stroking it continuously until he ejaculates on their feet, although they can also perform a footjob with only one foot. Multiple people can also perform a footjob on the same male. For example, if two people are performing a footjob on one man, they are giving a "double-footjob." A footjob done by three people on the same man is called a "triple-footjob."
Like other paraphilias, foot fetishism varies widely and can be highly specialized, therefore one fetishist may be aroused by elements another might find repulsive. Some foot fetishists prefer to concentrate on feet that are arched, others concentrate on relaxed feet. Most prefer bare feet, while others may prefer feet dressed in certain types of shoes, socks or hosiery. Some even concentrate on specialized scenarios, such as bare feet resting on a car dashboard. Some like to bite toenails. Many like painted toenails (such as red or pink), and other nail styles, such as the French pedicure, are also very popular. Thus there is often a blurred distinction between foot, nylon, pantyhose, shoe, dirt and similar fetishes.
On the Internet in particular, several web sites have been dedicated to showing the feet of famous women, often by using the expression "celebrity feet". Some websites have expanded the "celebrity" aspect to the point that a fantasy element is involved. This element, called a "foot fake," contains a picture of a fetish-related activity with a celebrity's face pasted on top of the woman's body. For example, in one picture Paris Hilton might give a footjob, and in another Jennifer Lopez might show off her stockinged soles. These would be classified as a "Paris Hilton foot fake" and "Jennifer Lopez foot fake," respectively.
A foot fetishist can be male or female (although males account for over 70%), and can have an interest in the feet of either sex, albeit usually parallel to their sexual orientation. Other fetishes such as tickling or bondage often accompany foot attraction.
Some foot-fetishists enjoy seeing toes and soles. The soles are the bottoms of the feet and can represent very unique patterns and lines that can produce incredibly sensational feelings. Others enjoy the top of the foot. Some fetishists compare the rush of having a foot-fetish to the rush produced from doing cocaine.
There are many different types of foot-fetishes. Some like to see mature feet, others like younger feet, some like fatter feet, and some like skinnier feet with visual tendons. Some people like huge female feet like the feet seen on tall women or athletes, such as women basketball players (US size 10 - size 15). Some enjoy little petite feet too. Some fetishists like painted toes and others like naked toes. There are even web-sites that deliver erotica based solely on men or women and their bare feet.
Proposed explanations for foot fetishism
One explanation, advanced by neurologist Prof. Daniel Griffiths, highlights the fact that the feet and the genitals occupy adjacent areas of the sensory cortex, possibly entailing some neural crosstalk between the two.
An alternative hypothesis is that in many cultures, an infant's experience of its mother may involve crawling around her feet. If sexual/behavioral imprinting occurs during this time, this might lead to the feet becoming the primary object of sexual arousal.
Another theory is that the shape of the human foot is visually similar to that of the curves found on the human body, particularly the female hips (again explaining the tendency of foot fetishists to be primarily heterosexual men).
Yet another theory proposes that visually, the feet and genitals occupy the same space within the sexual visual field that someone sees of a person, when the legs are raised for sex, and that some males are genetically brain imprinted to find parts of the body within that field as erotic.
Freud considered foot binding as practised in China as a form of fetishism.
Another possible theory behind foot-fetishism could be rooted in the idea that women's feet are usually hidden. Therefore the exposure of a woman's foot can produce feelings of intense pleasure because the fetishist is exposed to a part of her body that is normally hidden.
Another possible theory could be that it is a part of the body that has an odor. Vaginas have odors and so do feet, therefore they both produce sexual stimulation in an animal attraction type way.
Still another theory is that a person who adores feet is submissive.
References
- Giannini, A J; Colapietro, G; Slaby, A E; Melemis, S M; Bowman, R K (October 1998). Sexualization of the female foot as a response to sexually transmitted epidemics: A preliminary study. Psychological Reports. Volume 83(2): 491–498.
See also
- Sexual fetishism
- Shoe fetishism
- Trampling fetishism
- Foot worship
- Elmer Batters
- Lissa Noble
- Tickling fetishism
- Shoe dangling
- Shoeplay
- Toe sucking
- Perversion