Foot Fetishes are More Common Than You Think

Feet. Many of us don’t give them much thought, but did you know it’s one of the most common fetishes? In fact, one 2007 study of fetishes showed that the most common fetish in their sample was feet and objects associated with feet, including shoes, pantyhose, and socks. Supporting this study is a thriving market for foot pictures that continues as fetish content becomes more accessible each year. 

So, why are so many people sexually fascinated with feet? Is it something to worry about if you find yourself wanting to suck on toes? Or is it more common than we think?

Let’s look at foot and shoe fetishes and see if we can unpack this.

Who Fantasizes About Feet?

According to Dr. Justin Lehmiller of the Kinsey Institute, about 14% of participants in his survey had some kind of sexual fantasy in which feet or toes played a role. Of course, this doesn’t mean they are all foot fetishists, but there’s an interesting breakdown.

First of all, men are more likely to fantasize about feet than women, with the highest percentage, 21%, being gay or bisexual men. And amongst women, lesbian and bisexual women are more likely to be into feet than straight women, at 11% and 5%, respectively.

Maybe this does map to who wears and doesn’t wear high heels. Or perhaps women are just less willing to reveal their fetishes. Which might tell us something about…

Why Feet?

A fetish, or paraphilia, is a kind of conditioning. Your brain becomes trained to associate a specific object with sexual arousal. Feet have several, well, complicated associations. Here are some of the reasons people might go for feet:

1. It really is about those high heels. We associate certain types of footwear with sexiness and sometimes with sluttiness. Do a Google search on “Sexy shoes,” and you’ll find SexyShoes.com (which sells drag queen shoes, amongst other things), sinfulshoes.com, and all kinds of other sites that specifically associate shoes with being sexy, which can lead to associating the shoes with arousal. Images of women in languorous poses wearing high heels may well explain why men are more likely to go for shoes.
2. Biology. Feet share nerves with your genitals, which is why some people are turned on by having their feet licked and sucked. Which then provides a great opportunity for people turned on by, well, doing the licking. Feet do have many nerve endings, so you could argue that being attracted to feet is, in fact, perfectly normal.
3. Dominance/submission. This is where foot fetishes cross over with kink. Being literally at or under a domme’s feet is the turn-on for many men, with the subversion of traditional gender roles. After all, the classic “uniform” of the dominatrix includes amazing boots. Shoes thus end up great toys for dominance games.

So, what makes people foot fetishists?

The tendency to develop a fetish may be genetic. As children, we also see and touch feet a lot, which can result in sexual imprinting, especially in a society where we keep our genitals thoroughly covered. One foot fetishist blames his urges on the fact that a girl he had a crush on once left her sneakers at his house, allowing him to play with them.

Either way, feet are a common fetish target for biological and social reasons, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Does Fantasizing About Feet or Enjoying a Foot Massage Make you a Fetishist?

Enjoying a foot massage, which can be sexual to some people, doesn’t mean you’re a fetishist. Having your feet “treated” is going to feel good; that’s normal.

Most people have unique sexual fantasies. A fetishist needs the involvement of the object they’re fixated on to achieve arousal. So, a foot fetishist is likely to want and need to involve feet and shoes in their foreplay somehow.

Experimenting with foot licking also doesn’t make you a fetishist; it might just be a fun thing to try. But, on the other hand, if you think you have a foot fetish, don’t be afraid to play with it and where it goes. 

Are Foot Fetishes Harmful?

Absolutely not. Somebody who has a foot fetish might look at foot pictures instead of or in addition to regular porn. In fact, some women who wouldn’t otherwise engage in “sex work” will sometimes sell photos of their feet. They might also involve shoes in masturbation and foreplay or buy sex toys that look like feet. (Because, of course, there are foot-shaped pocket pussies out there).

The only time a foot fetish can cause harm is if the person with the fetish seeks a partner who is very much not into having their feet involved in sex, so it’s best to find that out early.

What Kind of Feet Play Might You Want to Try?

So, you think you might have a foot fetish? Or you’re dating somebody with a foot fetish and want to make them happy. Many, but not all, foot fetishists like to lick, suck, and nibble on feet, but there are a few other things you can explore, like the above-mentioned foot-shaped sex toys.

Some foot fetishists are attracted to adorned feet. They might want their partner to get their toenails nails done and wear an anklet or foot jewelry. To people like this, nail paint and foot jewelry are equivalent to getting your partner to wear sexy underwear.

If you’re into shoes, you could try keeping your shoes on or having your partner keep their shoes on, or ceremonially removing shoes much the same way you might undress your partner.

There’s absolutely nothing weird about being into feet, and a lot more of us probably are to some degree than admit it. Like most fetishes, podophilia is entirely harmless. Lots of us have some kind of fetish, and there’s nothing weird or strange about it.

In fact, it’s very healthy to explore your potential fetishes and find other people to practice and celebrate them with!