Foot Fetish 101: What It Is, Why Feet Turn People On and How to Explore It

A foot fetish is a sexual interest in feet, and often in what's on them: polish, socks, nylons, heels. It's also called podophilia, and a 2007 study of online fetish groups found feet and foot-related objects the most common focus. It's common, and it isn't a disorder. Here's the what, the why and the how, from worship to footjobs.

Feet of every gender get adored by people of every gender, and this guide is for all of them: consenting adults who want it frank, sourced and specific enough to try tonight.

What’s in this guide

• What is a foot fetish?
• How common is a foot fetish?
• Why do people have foot fetishes?
• What foot lovers are into: the details
• How to bring it up, and how to say yes (or no)
• Getting your feet ready
• Ways to play: from footsie to toe sucking
• Foot worship, step by step
• How to give a footjob
• Foot play hygiene and safety
• Toys and gear for foot play
• Foot Fetish FAQ
• The takeaway

What is a foot fetish?

A foot fetish means feet turn you on: looking at them, touching them, kissing them, or having them touch you. For some people feet are one ingredient; for others, the main event. Our Kink List entry on foot fetish and foot worship has the short version.

Foot fetish vocabulary

Term	Meaning	Good to know
Foot fetish (podophilia)	A central sexual interest in feet	The umbrella term
Foot kink	Enjoying feet without needing them	No label required
Partialism	A sexual focus on a non-genital body part	Cousin: the belly button fetish
Foot worship	Adoring feet with praise, kisses and licks	Often a power dynamic
Footjob	Stroking a penis or vulva with the feet	Lube is not optional
Toe sucking	Sucking and licking toes	Washed feet only
Shoe fetish	Arousal centered on shoes, boots or heels	Overlaps with feet
Sock and nylon fetishes	Arousal centered on socks or hosiery	Texture and the reveal
Tickling	Teasing soles until someone squirms	Needs a stop signal
Trampling	Standing or walking on a partner	Heavy play, real injury risk; not taught here
Reverse foot fetish	Loving having your feet adored	See below

What is a reverse foot fetish?

A reverse foot fetish is getting turned on by someone adoring your feet. You don't need to love feet yourself; you love being wanted, and being in control: you decide what gets touched, how and for how long. Drop your feet in their lap, tell them where to kiss, praise them when they get it right, and make them earn the next toe.

Is a foot fetish normal?

Yes. Liking feet is not a disorder. Psychiatry only calls a fetish a problem when it causes real distress, gets in the way of daily life, or harms someone, and its diagnostic manual even lists body parts as one kind of fetish (StatPearls; a 2018 review in the Medical Journal Armed Forces India).

If people walked on their hands, we'd be writing about hand fetishes. But if it ever takes over your life, causes you distress or pushes you toward anyone who hasn't agreed, talk to a sex-positive mental health professional.

How common is a foot fetish?

Nobody has measured how many people in the general population have a foot fetish. Researchers have measured interest in feet:

Finding	Who was asked	Year
Feet and foot-related objects were the most common fetish focus; feet and toes made up 47% of the membership of groups devoted to body parts	381 online fetish groups, at least 5,000 people	2007
16.6% of men and 4.1% of women reported a strong interest in feet; for shoes, 15.3% and 5.1%	1,027 Belgian adults	2017
16.3% found specific body parts arousing at least rarely in the past year, feet among the examples; 2.4% said it was frequent and caused them any distress	1,236 adults, a representative Zurich survey	2024
About 1 in 7 had fantasized about feet or toes	More than 4,000 American adults	2018

Sources, in order: the International Journal of Impotence Research, the Journal of Sexual Medicine, the Journal of Psychosexual Health, and sex researcher Justin Lehmiller's book Tell Me What You Want (a large survey, not a peer-reviewed study). The 2007 study counted online groups in 2004, not the population, and the surveys measured interest, not diagnoses. Nerve-ending counts and big percentages you'll see online have no solid source.

Do women have foot fetishes?

Yes. Fewer women than men report it, but women do: 4.1% of women in the Belgian survey reported a strong interest in feet, and in the Swiss survey 10.7% of women (and 21.8% of men) found body parts in general arousing at least rarely in the past year. Men's feet get adored too, in queer and straight pairings alike.

Why do people have foot fetishes?

Nobody knows for sure. Several things probably overlap.

The brain-map idea

Neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran noticed that some people who had lost a leg felt sexual sensations, and in one case orgasm, in the foot that was no longer there. On the brain's touch map, he pointed out, the foot sits right beside the genitals. He suggested that a little crossed wiring between those two neighboring areas might explain why feet turn some people on. It's a hypothesis, not a proven cause.

Later brain studies haven't settled the question. A 2011 scan of women found genital touch registering in the same inner strip of the brain's touch map as the big toe. A 2005 scan of men put the penis right beside the foot area too, but on its outer side, and a 2021 scan of 20 women and a 2025 brain-surgery study of three men placed genital sensation next to the hip and thigh instead (Journal of Sexual Medicine; Journal of Neuroscience; Brain). The evidence is mixed.

Early experiences and learning

Another idea: arousal gets linked to whatever is around when it first shows up (bare feet, shoes, a partner's stockings), and repetition makes the link stick. It's a theory, not a proven cause.

Power, worship and surrender

For some, the turn-on is what feet mean. Kneeling at someone's feet is a classic picture of devotion, and the adored partner gets the view from above. That's power exchange (see dominance and submission on the Kink List).

Looks, adornment and a little taboo

Some people just love how feet look: a high arch, painted toes, a toe ring, a foot curved in a heel. And feet spend much of the day hidden, so a bare one feels a little forbidden.

What foot lovers are into: the details

Foot lovers are often very specific. The menu:

What	What people love	Play it up
Bare feet	Toes, the crease under them, pads, arches, heels, ankles, tops, soles	Ask which zone, then lavish it
Poses	Soles up while lying on your stomach, toes spread or curled, a heel-up arch	Hold the pose
Nails	Long or short, bold or soft polish, French tips, natural	Let them pick the polish
Jewelry and tattoos	Toe rings, anklets, ankle chains, foot tattoos	One anklet, nothing else
Socks	Knee, crew, ankle or no-show; cotton, fuzzy or thin	Peel them off slowly
Nylons	Pantyhose, stockings, knee-highs; sheer or opaque; seams, fishnets	Point your toes as you roll them on
Shoes	Heels, boots, sneakers, sandals; open or closed toe; straps	Dangle a heel off your toes
Scent and "worn" feet	A day's wear, which isn't the same as unwashed	Agree it first; see scent and smell
Feet of any gender	Big or small, smooth or hairy, polished or bare	Love the feet in front of you

Let them choose

Ask, then listen. Let your partner choose your polish, socks or shoes for a night, and never laugh at a detail they share. For boot or heel worship, use clean, dedicated footwear, never street soles. More on shoes, heels and boots and stockings, nylons and pantyhose in the Kink List.

How to bring it up, and how to say yes (or no)

If you're the one who loves feet

Pick a relaxed moment, clothes on, and keep it light:

• "Can I give you a foot rub tonight? I've wanted my hands on your feet all day."
• "I have a thing for feet. Yours especially. Can I tell you about it?"

Start with the easiest yes and build. Or try the Yes No Maybe List side by side, or the couples version of the Kink Test, which only reveals the kinks you both said yes to.

If your partner tells you

Start with curiosity, not a verdict: what exactly do they love, the look, the feel, the taste, the power? Say yes to what sounds good; no is a complete answer, and so is "not yet." Being adored can be very hot.

Agree the details

• Mouths: kissing, licking, toe sucking, or hands only?
• Finishing: is coming on feet a yes?
• Photos: yes or no, and where they'd live.
• Pressure: firm or feather-light, and who leads.
• Stopping: a stop word, plus two taps for when a mouth is busy or someone is laughing too hard to talk.

Run every new idea through Planned Parenthood's FRIES test: is the yes freely given, reversible, informed, enthusiastic and specific? Saying yes to a foot rub isn't saying yes to a footjob, and anyone can change their mind mid-scene.

Getting your feet ready

The CDC's foot basics double as foot-play prep: wash, dry completely (between the toes too), keep nails short and clean, and check for cuts or sores first.

• Nails: cut straight across and file the edges smooth (Mayo Clinic's advice for healthy nails, and it saves your partner's skin).
• Heels: pumice rough skin if you like, with a separate stone for any wart.
• Check: cuts, cracks, itchy or flaky skin, thick nails or a verruca mean that foot sits out (see safety).
• Extras: polish if they love it, fresh or worn agreed in advance, a towel and lube in reach.

Calluses, bunions, scars and crooked toes are normal; real feet are the point. Fungus is different: an infection to get checked, not a beauty flaw.

Ways to play: from footsie to toe sucking

Start gentle and work up; every row works for any genders.

Activity	Intensity	You need	Tip
Footsie and teasing	Gentle	Shoes you can slip off	Start under the table
Foot massage	Gentle	Glide and a towel	Ask about pressure
Kissing and licking	Medium	Clean feet	Ankle first, toes last
Toe sucking	Medium	Freshly washed feet	Lips over teeth
Tickling	Medium	A stop signal	Short bursts
Socks, nylons, shoes	Medium	Their favorite pair	Slow reveals
Foot photos	Medium	A clear yes	No faces or tattoos
Foot worship	Intense	Time and cushions	They lead
Footjob	Intense	Plenty of lube	Hands help

Teasing and footsie

Good teasing is sincere, surprising and never the same twice:

1. Sore feet. Kick off your shoes, rub your arch and ask for one of their slow foot rubs.
2. Footsie. Slip a shoe off under the table and travel up their leg; at home, keep going until your sole rests on their cock or pussy.
3. The slow reveal. Point your toes and roll a stocking on, or off, while they watch.
4. Cold toes. Ask them to warm your toes, by hand or, if agreed, by mouth.
5. A photo shoot. With a yes from you both, let them shoot your feet: no faces, tattoos or identifying backgrounds, agree where photos live, and either of you can ask for deletion.

Foot massage as foreplay

A foot rub is the easiest yes here. Make it sexy:

1. Pour some JO All In One Warming Massage Glide into your palms. It doubles as lube, so no switching bottles later.
2. Drag both thumbs up the arch, heel to toes, slow and firm.
3. Squeeze and gently pull each toe, then circle the heel and ankle.
4. Lay a towel over one sole (the glide and the wand's head are both silicone), rest a wand like the Magic Wand Rechargeable on it, low setting, and glide it up the leg.

It should never hurt: ask about pressure, and see the massage cautions under safety. More on erotic massage in the Kink List.

Kissing, licking and toe sucking

Kiss the ankle and the top of the foot, then the arch, then drag your tongue up the sole from heel to toes.

Toe sucking (also called shrimping) means one toe at a time, lips over teeth, sucking it the way you'd suck a finger or a cock: soft, then firmer, tongue on the underside and slipping between toes. Agree a tap signal first, since your mouth is busy.

Nobody has studied toe sucking, so wash feet first and skip it over warts, fungal skin, cuts or a cold sore (the official advice behind that is under safety). For a second tongue, our suggestion is a flicker toy like the Vedo Liki on the soles.

Tickling

The soles are sensitive and ticklish for a lot of people. Keep tickling short, agree a stop signal that works while laughing (two taps), and never restrain anyone for it unless negotiated. More on tickling in the Kink List.

When it isn't clicking

• Too ticklish? Try firmer, slower strokes.
• Shy? Start with a foot rub under a blanket.
• Partner not into it? Keep what they enjoy; drop the rest.
• Legs cramping? Switch positions or use your hands.

Foot worship, step by step

Foot worship (the kink, not the religious ritual) is adoring attention to a partner's feet, as devotion, service or power play. Worshipping feet can be tender or deeply submissive. A first scene:

1. Set up. The worshipped partner reclines on a chair or the bed's edge, feet at mouth height; the worshipper kneels on a cushion.
2. Look and praise. Admire the arch, the polish, the curl of their toes before touching.
3. Rub them down. Warm glide, thumbs up the arches, every toe, then wipe them with a towel before kissing.
4. Kiss and lick. Ankle, top of the foot, arch, heel, then long licks up the sole.
5. Toes, on their terms. They direct: which toe, slower, enough. Tap out whenever you need to while your mouth is full.
6. Finish or move on. A footjob, sex, or nothing more.
7. Aftercare. Wash feet, drink water, cuddle, and share one thing you loved.

The worshipped partner receives, directs and praises: the reverse foot fetish in action. The Lover's Deluxe Bondage Massage Set has the props.

Worship with a power dynamic

Add commands and worship becomes power exchange: "You may kiss my toes. Not yet. Now." Praise is the currency (see the power of praise), and any gender can sit on the throne; our femdom guide and the Kink List on femdom and female-led relationships and body worship go deeper. The person giving orders stays responsible for the other's wellbeing, signal or no signal (National Domestic Violence Hotline), and a yes can be taken back at any moment.

Trampling and other heavy play

Trampling, standing or walking on a partner, is heavy play with real injury risk: Cleveland Clinic notes that force to the chest can break ribs, which can collapse a lung or damage organs underneath. Intense pain or trouble breathing afterward means the emergency room. With diabetes or less feeling in your feet, skip rough play like stepping and trampling. We don't teach it; the Kink List entry on trampling explains it.

How to give a footjob

A footjob, sometimes written foot job, is stroking a penis or vulva with your soles, arches and toes, with plenty of lube: a cousin of mutual masturbation. For a foot lover, few views beat a slick cock sliding between a partner's arches.

1. Get support. Sit against pillows, knees bent, towel down, your partner lying back between your feet.
2. Lube everything. Feet don't make their own slickness, and Planned Parenthood says lube reduces friction and helps prevent irritation and small tears, so coat both soles and the shaft, and reapply.
3. Warm up. Slide your soles up their thighs, trace the shaft with your big toe, then press a sole flat over their cock and balls.
4. The basic stroke. Soles facing, arches wrapped around the shaft, stroke base to head, slow and steady, squeezing on the upstroke.
5. Mix it up. Pin the shaft to their belly with one sole while the other strokes the underside, curl your toes around the head, or press a heel against the base.
6. Bring in hands. When your legs tire, let your partner hold your feet and steer. Receivers: say "slower" or "harder," and enjoy the slow build, which makes footjobs great for edging.
7. Balls and perineum. Cup the balls gently with your toes, or press the ball of your foot lightly into the perineum.
8. Finish as agreed. On your soles or toes if you both want it (see cum play), then wash up and wipe your feet before standing: lube makes floors slippery.

Footjob positions

Position	How it works	Best for	Watch for
Face to Face	Both sitting, the receiver leaning back between the giver's feet	Eye contact	The giver's back
Head to Toe	Side by side, heads at opposite ends	Long, lazy sessions	One foot doing all the work
Knees Up	Giver on their back, soles together; receiver kneels and thrusts	The receiver setting the pace	Tired hips
Soles Up	Giver on their stomach, soles skyward; receiver kneels behind	Lovers of the sole view	Let the receiver move
Bed's Edge	Giver lies back at the bed's edge, feet raised; receiver stands	Thrusting into the arches	Bed height
Nylon Glide	Any position, in socks or nylons	Texture lovers	Add lube; no oil on nylons

Face to Face, Head to Toe and Knees Up work for a vulva too.

A footjob on a vulva

Feet work on a pussy too. Lube your toes and the vulva, then:

• Circle the clit with your big toe over the hood, light, then firmer as asked.
• Stroke the labia, outer and inner lips, top to bottom.
• Let them grind against your flat sole.
• Add a wand held between your soles against the clit.

Keep it external unless nails are short, filed and clean. If you both want a toe inside (vagina or anus), the rules are short filed nails, clean feet and plenty of lube, and never anus to vulva or mouth without washing first.

Lube for footjobs

Lube	Feel	Condoms	Silicone toys	Good to know
Water-based	Slick; washes off easily	Safe with all	Safe	Soaks into skin, so reapply
Silicone	Long-lasting, super slick	Safe with all	Can damage them	Use water-based with silicone toys
Oil	Great for massage	Breaks latex and polyisoprene	Can damage soft materials	Hard to wash off; can stain sheets and nylons

With a condom on, use water-based or silicone: the CDC and Planned Parenthood both warn that oil, lotion and petroleum jelly weaken latex. For most footjobs, JO H2O, a water-based lube, is the easy choice; more in our lube collection.

Foot play hygiene and safety

Foot play is skin play, so the risks are skin, nails and germs. Pause foot play if:

If you notice	Do this	Source
Itchy white patches between the toes, or flaky, cracked or red skin	Keep those feet out of play; don't share towels, socks or shoes	NHS, CDC
Thick, discolored or crumbly toenails	No toe sucking or foot-to-genital contact	Mayo Clinic
A verruca (a hard spot with tiny black dots)	No sucking, licking or footjobs with that foot; keep it covered	NHS, Mayo Clinic
A cut, blister or sore on feet or genitals	Pause contact with that skin until healed	NHS (by analogy)
A cold sore, or the tingle before one	No toe sucking, foot kissing or oral sex until fully healed	NHS
A genital sore or herpes tingle	No foot-to-genital play; condoms don't cover all skin	NHS, CDC
A recent leg blood clot, a bleeding disorder or blood thinners	Ask your healthcare team before foot massage	Mayo Clinic
Diabetes or less feeling in the feet	Check feet after play; skip stepping and trampling	Mayo Clinic
Chest or belly pain, or trouble breathing after heavy play	Emergency care	Cleveland Clinic

Athlete's foot, nail fungus and verrucas

Athlete's foot is catching: the NHS says you can get it from touching the affected skin of someone who has it, and the CDC lists skin-to-skin contact, including sexual contact, among the ways this fungus spreads. Mayo Clinic notes it travels on hands and towels and can cause jock itch if it reaches the groin, so wash hands between feet and genitals. Nail fungus can pass between nail and skin (Mayo Clinic), and verrucas spread through close skin contact (NHS).

Mouths and feet

The NHS, CDC and Mayo Clinic don't cover toe sucking, so use the nearest advice. The NHS warns against sucking fingers with warts on them, and says a cold sore is contagious from the first tingle until it has fully healed. It also says cuts or sores on fingers raise the risk of passing an infection during fingering; toes are no different, so no toe-to-mouth or foot-to-genital play over broken skin.

One hard no: feet never press over a nose or mouth, or on a throat. Breathing stays easy, and a stop signal stays possible, the whole time.

Massage cautions, diabetes and numb feet

Mayo Clinic's massage guidance says to check with your healthcare team first after a recent blood clot in the leg or heart attack, or with a bleeding disorder, blood thinners, burns, broken bones or severe osteoporosis, and to keep pressure off healing wounds. A foot rub should never hurt, so ask for lighter pressure.

If you have diabetes or less feeling in your feet, check them after play for rubs and blisters you may not have felt: diabetes can damage the nerves and affect circulation in the feet and legs (CDC). If anything hurts, bleeds or stays numb after play, or you're injured, talk to your doctor.

Toys and gear for foot play

Feet, hands and mouths are free; these make them better. Socks, nylons, shoes, polish and lingerie matter too, but they're things to wear or buy elsewhere: we don't sell them.

Pick	Best for	Price
Warming glide: JO All In One	Foot rub to footjob in one bottle	$35.95
Water-based lube: JO H2O	Footjobs, with or without a condom	from $12.95
Full-size wand: Magic Wand Rechargeable	Soles and arches during a foot rub	$118.95
Flicker toy: Vedo Liki	Fluttering over toes and soles	$37.95
Worship kit: Lover's Deluxe Bondage Massage Set	A whole worship night	$92.95

JO All In One Warming Massage Glide: start to finish

It's silicone-based, warms on contact, and its listing calls it a massage glide and a personal lubricant in one, so the bottle you used on their arches can go straight onto their cock or clit. The listing says it's latex-condom compatible and that one drop replaces at least ten drops of regular massage oil. Our advice: because it warms, test it on a small patch of skin first, and since it's silicone, use water-based lube with silicone toys. $35.95.

Get the All In One Warming Massage Glide here.

JO H2O Personal Lube: the footjob staple

The easy default for footjobs: water-based, with a silicone-like glide. Its listing says it never gets sticky, rinses off easily, and is non-staining, odor-free, latex-condom compatible and safe on every toy material, silicone included. That means one bottle covers a condom, a wand and a flicker toy in the same night. From $12.95.

Get the JO H2O here.

Magic Wand Rechargeable: rumble for soles

Per its listing, it works for full-body massage as well as intimate play, which is exactly the job here. Rest the head flat on a sole and glide it up the arch, then the leg. Four intensity levels, four patterns, deep, rumbly power, cordless, about 13 inches long. $118.95. Smaller: the Magic Wand Mini Rechargeable, $89.95, or browse our wand collection.

Get the Magic Wand Rechargeable here.

Vedo Liki Rechargeable Flicker Vibe: a tongue for toes

Built for the clit, it has a fluttering silicone tongue that flicks, tickles and teases with a licking-like motion, per its listing. Our suggestion: run that flutter along the soles and between the toes first. It packs 6 intensity levels and 10 vibration modes into a palm-sized 3.5-inch body, waterproof and submersible, with about 90 minutes of play per USB charge. $37.95. More in our tongue vibrators.

Get the Vedo Liki here.

Lover's Deluxe Bondage Massage Set: a worship night

Its listing includes a feather tickler, a coconut-and-soy massage candle that melts into warm oil, 1.7 oz of mildly scented massage oil, and a satin blindfold and restraints, plus a vibrating bullet and C-ring and more. Feather the soles, blindfold the worshipper, or restrain the worshipped partner's wrists. Don't use the massage oil with latex condoms, and keep it off nylons and the satin pieces (the listing warns oil can stain satin). Our advice: test the candle's warm oil on your wrist first. $92.95.

Get the Lover's Deluxe Bondage Massage Set here.

Foot Fetish FAQ

What does it mean if someone has a foot fetish?

It means feet turn them on: looking at them, touching them, kissing them or being touched by them. For some people feet are one turn-on among many; for others they're central. It doesn't mean anything is wrong. Often it means they'd love to get their hands on your feet.

Can you have a foot fetish for men's feet?

Yes. A foot fetish is about feet, and men's feet get adored like anyone else's. Foot lovers come in every gender and orientation: a woman and her boyfriend's feet, two men, or any other mix. Everything here works for every body.

Why do people have foot fetishes?

Nobody knows for sure. The best-known idea is a hypothesis from V.S. Ramachandran: the foot sits beside the genitals on the brain's touch map, he pointed out, so a little crossed wiring might explain why feet turn some people on. Later brain scans are mixed. Learning, power and simple looks may also play a part.

Is having a foot fetish normal?

Yes. Surveys keep finding interest in feet among ordinary adults, and psychiatry only calls a fetish a problem when it causes real distress, gets in the way of daily life or harms someone. Between partners who both say yes, it needs no clinical help.

How common are foot fetishes?

Nobody knows exactly, but interest in feet is common. A 2017 Belgian survey of 1,027 adults found 16.6% of men and 4.1% of women reported a strong interest in feet, and in Justin Lehmiller's survey, about 1 in 7 had fantasized about feet or toes (a large survey, not a peer-reviewed study).

Do women have foot fetishes?

Yes, though fewer women than men report it. In a 2017 Belgian survey, 4.1% of women reported a strong interest in feet, against 16.6% of men, and in a 2024 Swiss survey, 10.7% of women found body parts in general arousing at least rarely in the past year.

What is a reverse foot fetish?

A reverse foot fetish is getting turned on by someone else adoring your feet. You might not care about feet yourself; you love the attention and the control of deciding what they get to touch. Direct them, praise them, and make them earn each toe.

What is foot worship?

Foot worship is adoring attention to a partner's feet: admiring, praising, massaging, kissing, licking and sucking them, often as devotion or power play. The worshipped partner reclines and directs while the worshipper kneels. Agree limits and a stop signal first, and finish with aftercare.

How do you give a good footjob?

Use lots of lube and press your soles together around the shaft, stroking base to head with your arches. Vary it: one foot pins while the other strokes. Bring in hands when your legs tire. On a vulva, circle the clit with a lubed toe.

What is the best lube for a footjob?

Water-based lube is the easiest choice: it's safe with every condom and toy and washes off easily, though you'll reapply. Silicone lasts longer and is condom-safe but can damage silicone toys. Oil glides well for massage but breaks latex condoms and can stain sheets and nylons.

Is toe sucking safe?

Toe sucking hasn't been studied, but the closest official advice is clear: the NHS warns against sucking fingers with warts on them, and cold sores are contagious until fully healed. Wash feet first and skip it over warts, fungal skin, cuts or a cold sore.

Can you catch anything from foot play?

Yes, mostly skin infections. The fungi behind athlete's foot spread by skin-to-skin contact, including sexual contact (CDC), and can cause jock itch if they reach the groin (Mayo Clinic). Verrucas spread through close skin contact, and a foot rubbing against a herpes sore can carry it.

How do you tell your partner you have a foot fetish?

Pick a relaxed moment, keep it light and start small: "I have a thing for feet, especially yours. Can I give you a foot rub tonight?" Say exactly what you love, ask how they feel, and accept a no without sulking.

What is the difference between a foot fetish and a shoe fetish?

A foot fetish centers on feet; a shoe fetish centers on shoes, boots or heels. They can overlap. In a 2017 Belgian survey, 15.3% of men and 5.1% of women reported a strong interest in shoes, almost the same as for feet (16.6% and 4.1%).

Is it safe to sell feet pics?

It has real risks, mainly being identified and being scammed. Keep out faces, tattoos, jewelry and recognizable rooms, strip location data and use a separate email. Per the FTC, never send back an "overpayment," never share a verification code, and know that gift-card or check-and-send-back requests are scams. Never meet a buyer.

The takeaway

Feet are a common turn-on, and loving them is as normal as loving any other body part. Ask what your partner loves, start with a foot rub, keep feet clean and lube close, and build a stop signal into every scene.

Keep exploring: our femdom guide for worship with power exchange, What Is Edging? for slow footjobs, the full Kink List, and our couples toys for the next foot rub.

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Maya Sterling, AdultLuxe editorial. Read our editorial standards.