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| Foot fetishism |
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| Foot fetishism or podophilia is a pronounced fetishistic sexual interest in human feet. It is one of the most common fetishes in males |
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| Scope of foot fetishism |
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For a foot fetishist, points of attraction include the shape and size of the foot and toes, the texture of the skin, cleanliness (or lack thereof), state of dress (i.e., barefoot or clad in socks/nylons) and odor. Foot lovers may enjoy sniffing, tickling, kissing, licking, and/or lovemaking with the objects of their affections.
Like other paraphilias, foot fetishism varies widely and several subcultures can be highly specialized; therefore one fetishist may be aroused by elements another might find repulsive. Websites exist that cater to a number of specialized scenarios, including: feet resting on car dashboards, feet pushing down on accelerator or brake pedals, women walking barefoot on difficult surfaces such as hot pavement, sharp gravel, rocks, snow, etc., feet being pushed into mud or food, foot torture (i.e. having the soles of their feet tortured or punished by whippings, hot wax, or burnt with cigarettes), and feet being bound and tickled. |
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| Proposed explanations for foot fetishism |
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One explanation, advanced by neurologist Vilayanur S. Ramachandran, highlights the fact that the feet and the genitals occupy adjacent areas of the somatosensory cortex, possibly entailing some neural crosstalk between the two. Similarly, Reflexology is the practice of stimulating points on the feet to process this crosstalk.
A somewhat more Freudian 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. The human brain somehow attributes the feet to hold sexual properties according to Freud.
Another theory is that the shape of the human foot is visually similar to that of the curves and cleavage found on the body of the human female, particularly the female hips and buttocks. The average foot is composed almost entirely of curves; the top of the foot, the tips and bottoms of the toes, balls of the toes, instep, heel, ankle, soles, and toenails are often all curved, making the foot one of the curviest parts of the human body. In much the same way that breasts, buttocks, or hips are often considered attractive because of their curves, so too can the foot be regarded as an object of sexual desire. This would explain why so many foot fetishists are aroused by watching a barefoot girl with dirty soles, as the dust highlights the curves, the shape of the female feet by leaving only the arches clean.
Yet another theory proposes that visually, the feet and genitals and breast occupy the same space within the sexual visual field and the male, during coitus (missionary) utilize this 'sexual trigger' to enhance reproduction. Some males may be genetically brain imprinted to find parts of the body within that field as erotic. The female face, breast, legs and feet can all be seen during lovemaking in this position.
Another possible theory behind foot-fetishism could be rooted in the idea that a persons feet are usually hidden, much in the same manner as genitalia or a woman's breasts. Suddenly exposed feet could hypothetically produce a feeling of pleasure in the same way that exposed breasts could. A female, in the initial stages of undress for a romantic encounter, usually removes her shoes first. Perhaps launching a visually erotic chain reaction, allowing the male to perform during reproduction.
Another possible theory is that it is a part of the body that has an odor. Feet have many sweat glands which produce (theoretically) the same pheromones (chemical signals) which are produced by genitalia. Therefore they both invoke sexual arousal in the opposite sex.
Still another theory is that some men (not all) who adore feet are submissive to women. This would imply that the male is NOT a true 'fetishist' and is aroused, rather, by simply his humiliating role in the relationship. On the other hand there is another look on the domination which is attributed to a foot fetishist (interepreted in Jungian and Adler manner). Legs serve as a support for a body. A human is strong when he stands on both feet. Foot fetishist can reach soles of other person only by changing persons position to submissive and weak. Thus foot fetishist expresses his superiority feelings by controlling other person.
And the final discussion of this topic is the fact that foot adoration is NOT a 'fetish' at all, but rather a normal reaction to simply another body part that defines the parameters of what we find attractive in a female, such as vibrant hair or an appealing figure.
Madison Avenue has been quick to grasp the subliminal power the female foot holds as a symbol of sexuality. We are bombarded daily with images of the female foot in advertising for a variety of products. The footwear and footcare industries have profited to the tune of billions of dollars year in and year out as women worldwide adorn their feet on a daily basis with an abundance of products including jewelry, pigments and colors, general beautification and maintenance hygiene. Not to mention the stylish and endless selection of shoes and boots. |
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| Foot fetishism in popular culture |
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In the television cartoon Family Guy the character Glen Quagmire is said to be a foot fetishist (among other things), and in one episode Peter Griffin gets him a foot from the Statue of Liberty. In another episode he is bowling with Chris and smells a woman's shoe. And later when Chris says to him that he doesn't like feet as much as he does, to which Quagmire replies that everybody likes feet.
In an episode of the series King of the Hill, character Peggy Hill, who has unusually large feet, gets tricked into posing her feet for a foot fetish website.
Supermodel Brooke Burke claims to have a male foot fetish.
In the animated television series (and graphic novel) Æon Flux, the title character models for a foot fetish magazine. She also has her feet licked by a monster in the afterlife in the pilot episode.
Film director Quentin Tarantino includes frequently close-ups of the female feet indulging his own fetish. Tarantino stars in "From Dusk Till Dawn" (1996), directed by Robert Rodriguez, where he plays the most famous foot fetish scene in commercial cinema, drinking beer directly from Salma Hayek's foot. This scene was mimicked later in "The Chosen One: Legend of the Raven" (1998) where Carmen Electra do a similar bedroom performance using milk instead of beer.
In the film version of Big Trouble, Stanley Tucci's character tries to seduce his maid by praising and licking her feet.
A number of hip hop artists, including Ludacris have acknowledged that they have foot fetishes and Nelly, C.L. Smooth, among others have had several references to feet in their lyrics.
The Vietnamese-French director Tran Hung Anh has used foot fetishism nicely. In Xichlo [aka Cyclo] (1995), set in Saigon, the gangster pimp character, known in the movie as the poet, recruits the cyclo's elder sister into prostitution. But he wants to preserve her virginity for his own love interest. So he hires her out to fetishists who will not violate her. One client has her don stockings, then carefully cuts them off with scissors. While she sits in a chair he works at her feet. He then proceeds to carefully and adoringly wash her feet in a bowl of water he has fetched for the purpose.
Mr. Anh had earlier made The Scent of the Green Papaya (1993). In this there is a momentary piece of Wellesian-like cinematography, where the female protagonist walks towards a camera placed on or near the floor, and we get a nice, if brief, capture of her bare feet.
In the movie Road Trip (2000), Beth Wagner (played by Amy Smart) has her foot licked, and is asked if she wants a foot rub by a man (a foot fetishist) on the same bus as her. She says no and attempts to embarrass the man. The man was actually the movie's director Todd Phillips, a real life foot fetishist.
In Sex and the City, Charlotte is given free pairs of shoes by a shoe salesman who has a foot and shoe fetish in order to watch her try them on.
In a scene in the movie Reefer Madness (2005), during the wild piano playing scene a couple can be seen in the background engaging in acts of foot fetishism. The man removes both the girl's socks and proceeds to suck her toes.
Professional Wrestler Gene Snitsky has a gimmick which involves him having a fetish with the feet of either gender, male or female.
In the movie Mr. Deeds (2002), Longellow Deeds' butler, Emilio, openly states that he likes feet and enjoys changing people's socks. Emilio also follows up that he isn't exactly sure why he has such an attraction.
In Friends in the The One With Phoebe's Uterus, when Monika explains to Chandler the seven erogenous zones of the female body, Rachel yells out “OH, TOES! … Yeah, for some people”, after misunderstanding what Monica was saying. Chandler then goes on to glance at Rachel’s feet and give a bewildered look at Rachel after which she looks a little embarrassed.
Popular latenight television actor Luke Tucker has a foot fetish, as portrayed by his character Mookie Blaylock. |
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