Source: An Essay on Podophilic Sexuality

What is it about some people’s feet that make other people wild with desire? Who is a foot fetishist? A foot hedonist? A foot lover?

Feet are two of the most denigrated parts of the human body. We literally step on them all day. Rarely pleasured, often overworked, we walk, run, hike, dance and jump on our feet. Indeed, our feet are the slaves or pack mules of the rest of our bodies. Yet feet can command tremendous passion in some people. There are Leg Men, Breast Men, Bun Men, and there are Feet Men (or maybe it’s Foot Men). But unlike breasts, legs and buns, the charms of feet are rarely examined, except by podiatrists, pedicurists, foot fetishists, foot hedonists and shoe salesmen.

Though my doctorate’s in philosophy, not podiatry, I’ve studied the pleasures of feet for many years in my famous Foot Fetish Salons, as well as through my radio, TV and Internet shows, my private sex therapy practice and in my own personal life. Why feet? I love to explore love in all its many splendored aspects, and the foot is an aspect of love. After all, even if you’re not “into” feet, if you love someone, you love them head-to-toe, right?

The first part of my body I let my husband Max touch was my feet. Now that we’re married, there isn’t a part of me that he hasn’t touched (well, I won’t let him pick my nose). But during our courtship, I wanted to take it slow, so I wouldn’t let him move his horny hands much above my knee. But I did let him play with my feet, and oh, how he played with my feet! He caressed my ankles, massaged my arches, kissed my soles and sucked my toes; he literally made love to my feet. And my feet fell in love with him. And even now that we’re married and having all kinds of sex, there’s a very special relationship between Max and my feet.

Foot Fetish Types

Before I get more personal, let’s return to our general discussion of foot fetishism. According to most experts (as well as my own informal but extensive research), it’s mostly males who are aroused by female feet. Of course, gay and bisexual male foot fetishists do like men’s feet, sometimes quite intensely. And some lesbians are turned on by women’s feet. As for straight women, they might be turned on by a man’s feet, and several have deeply enjoyed pleasuring their male partners’ feet at our Foot Fetish Salons. But women very rarely lust after men’s feet, at least not to the fetishistic extent that so many guys lust after ladies’ feet. Thus, when I speak of foot fetishists, I usually refer to them as male.

What do foot fetishists like about feet? Preferences for foot types vary. Some crave big giantess feet, though most go for small and dainty. Some like dirty feet, though most prefer clean. Some like feet of a particular race, tanned feet, athletic feet, high arches, polished toe nails, high heels, leather boots, sandals, stockings, toe cleavage or toe rings. Some adore massaging, pampering and pedicuring feet. Others want to be walked on. There are foot-lickers, toe-suckers, heel-sniffers, arch-ticklers and Imelda Marcos types just into shoes. Some go for stockings, often relishing the powerful aroma of just-worn nylons. Some couples do 69, but instead of having oral sex, they suck each other’s toes. Some guys love to masturbate against a woman’s foot, or use her big toe like a butt plug. Others are into foot bondage; they like to tie feet up and torture or tickle them.

Still others are “crush” or “squish” fetishists. They like to watch women step in things, or on things like grapes, jello, dolls, bugs. Their ultimate fantasy is to be mashed under the foot of a “50-foot woman,” but since that - if it were possible - would be terminal, they satisfy their lust by voyeuristically watching ladies’ feet wreak destruction on other crushable items. Usually these items are inanimate objects, fruits, vegetables or eggs, though occasionally they can involve crushing living creatures such as insects or mice. This is where I personally draw the line, as it involves torturing and killing defenseless animals. Though I do love the crush-lovers who keep their fetish to fruits and veggies. I’ve had tremendous fun stomping on grapes or squishing my toes through cake and then letting a foot lover or two lick and suck it all off.

Foot Lovers vs. Foot Fetishists

What makes a foot lover a foot fetishist? Both the intensity and exclusivity of the desire. If you’d rather have sex with your lover’s feet than any other body parts, or if you must focus on feet to reach orgasm, or if you’d usually rather screw a shoe than a person, you’re a foot fetishist. The technical term is “podophiliac.” If you are turned on by attractive feet or sexy shoes, but your sexuality doesn’t completely revolve around them, you’re more what I’d call a foot lover, a foot appreciator, or maybe you just playing footsie. You don’t have to be a certifiable foot fetishist to appreciate feet, or to enjoy having your feet appreciated.

In the classic sense, a “fetishist” invests god-like magical powers into the fetish object. The true foot fetishist objectifies, glorifies and downright deifies the foot, or shoe, or the foot in the shoe, with or without the stocking, being licked, caressed, massaged, worshipped, tickled, bedecked in jewels or stepping on something squishy.

Roots of a Foot Fetish

Why do foot fetishists fetishize feet? For as many different reasons as there are different foot fetishists. But typically, fetishes begin in early childhood. As a toddler toddles and crawls, exploring the world, feet are often the first part of Mommy that he encounters. There is a theory that says that if a mother doesn’t pick up and hold a child very often, his main physical contact with her will be with her feet; thus, he is more likely to develop a foot fetish. This is by no means a hard and fast rule, just a theory.

Intense childhood experiences with the feet of other relatives, like older sisters or cousins, as well as friends and, most notoriously, babysitters, may also lead one to become a foot fetishist. Mothers, beware the babysitter with the pretty pedicured toes, strappy sandals and an attitude; she may inspire your child to like feet! On second thought, what’s so terrible if your kid likes feet? You could do worse. As long as he’s capable of love - and if you love him, hold him and give him affection, he’ll probably be capable of love - what difference does it make if he’s into feet or breasts, armpits or elbows?

But what about those foot fetishists who are so obsessed with feet that they truly can’t get above the ankle, and love a whole human being? One reason fetishists become “obsessed” is they feel that their interest in feet is wrong. Whenever we feel that something we crave sexually is wrong or shameful, it becomes ultra-exciting in a naughty way. But it also becomes frustrating and disturbing, as we can’t integrate it into our everyday lives. Ultimately, it makes us feel bad about ourselves, sometimes even incapable of love. Most sex criminals have desires they feel ashamed of. Even if you’ve never done anything illegal, if you’re deeply ashamed of your sexuality - whether you’re a foot fetishist or just a garden variety sex maniac - your love life is bound to be troubled.

Continue reading: “Sharing Your Foot Fetish with Someone You Love…”