Author: Rick, BDSM ROAN Studio
Answering a question about foot fetish. Yes, just in case—everything I write is purely my personal opinion. Other fetishists probably see things differently, and of course, they’re absolutely right.
If we put it simply, without quoting Wikipedia: a foot fetish is when someone is attracted to feet. Not just in the way you like apples or TV shows, but as a sexual object. (What a terribly unsexy phrase—“sexual object.”)
For a foot fetishist, feet might be like breasts for most people.
A foot fetish is specifically an attraction to bare feet. It may stem from the way feet are somewhat taboo in our culture. Most of the time, they are hidden in shoes and socks, taking them off in public is considered inappropriate, and putting your feet up on the table is an absolute no-go. Seeing a bare breast is actually easier than catching a glimpse of someone’s heel—except in certain situations. And yes, seeing a bunch of bare feet at the beach doesn’t really trigger any special reaction for me (again, speaking only for myself).
Closely related to foot fetishism are boot fetishes (heavily fueled by shoe manufacturers), as well as fetishes for stockings, socks, fishnets, etc.
People have different preferences: some like toes, others prefer heels, some care about the shape of the foot, and others don’t. Some are into tiny Cinderella-like feet, while others prefer larger ones. Some like clean, well-moisturized feet with pearly toenails, while others enjoy them dirty, sweaty, or covered in sand. (If you search “dirty feet,” you’ll find more results than for “pop.”)
Feet can be massaged, kissed, sniffed, licked, or tickled. And if a foot fetishist happens to be a sadist, then they can also be whipped (this is called bastinado—probably invented by the Spanish), bitten (hello, primals), tied up, burned, played with using a knife, dripped with wax, shocked with electricity… Basically, everything you can do to other body parts applies here too, but feet are often much more sensitive. So, even though foot fetishism is usually considered a bottom practice, it can absolutely be done from a top position as well.
What causes foot fetishism?
The most common theory has always been early sexual imprinting in childhood—touching or seeing someone’s feet at a young age, and boom, Pavlov’s dog-style conditioning.
Honestly, I have serious doubts about that (but don’t tell the behaviorists).
Freud, of course, had his own thoughts: five toes, five phallic symbols, unresolved oral fixation. But yeah, that’s a bit of a stretch too.
From a neuroscientific perspective, there’s a theory by a researcher with a complicated name—V. S. Ramachandran (though he’s a brilliant and highly respected scientist).
To put it simply, our brain has different areas, and there’s a specific strip of neurons called the somatosensory cortex that represents all parts of the body. The more we use a body part and the more sensitive it is, the larger its representation in this cortex. For example, fingers take up a much bigger area than, say, the back. If you map out all these areas, you get the famous homunculus.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting: the section of the brain responsible for genital sensation is right next to the section responsible for feet. That’s not a theory—that’s a fact.
The theory is that some neurons in these areas overlap, meaning they activate in both zones. This could explain why so many people find feet to be an erogenous zone. In my personal experience—everyone does. And the ones who go “Oh no, I’m too ticklish, don’t touch my feet!” usually end up enjoying it the most.
So, for some people, due to this random neural overlap, feet—whether their own or someone else’s—can be perceived as a sexual object.
This theory hasn’t been fully proven (because proving it would require sticking electrodes into people’s brains and seeing how they react). In some cases, neuroscientists do exactly that, but foot fetishists aren’t exactly high-priority subjects for research.
Phew, my feet are tired from all this typing. Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like me to explain. 😁
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