Is It Normal To Have Foot Fetish? Explore The Science Behind It

Do you feel a sudden inclination for feet? Are you worried about being labelled a “freak?”

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Well, don’t be! Foot fetish is one of the most common types of sexual fixations. It ranks 1st on the list! Moreover, celebrities like Britney Spears have also declared their fondness for foot massages. These trends have made feet fixations more mainstream than ever. Additionally, liking feet does not equate to having a foot fetish. By definition, fetishes are intense and very different from the conventional attraction.

What is a Foot Fetish?

Simply put, a feet fetish is a pronounced sexual fixation with feet, whether visual, sensory or even an olfactory fascination. Also called podophilia, or foot partialism, feet fetishes are s a diverse phenomenon. People with this fixation show interest in various parts of the foot and related paraphilia. For example, here are some things that a feet fetishist may be attracted to

shape and size of feet
soles
toes
jewelry
treatments
state of dress
foot odour

Among these, an attraction based on the smell of feet is the most common type of feet fetish. Almost 50% of all foot lovers have this inclination.

What Causes Foot Fetishes?

Though there is no fixed cause for foot fetishes, several scientific theories explain this phenomenon’s root cause. For example, the psychanalytical view of feet fetishes argues that this condition is caused during the early childhood phase. Sigmund Freud is one of the most prominent thinkers on this. According to him, young children are fascinated with feet during this period. The impressionable see their mothers’ feet and, in the absence of a penis, take it to be a surrogate phallus.

Another psychoanalytical view of feet fetishes sees them as being caused by reinforcements. Also called the Pavlovian response, this theory argues that a significant event involving feet occurs during adolescence in people with feet fetishes. This is typically a first sexual encounter. In most cases, they will have been pleasured by their partner using their feet. A memory like this remains embedded in the brain and surfaces during adulthood. Upon maturity, this encounter may reveal itself to be a foot fetish.

Several biological explanations also exist for the development of foot fetishes. One theory states that the proximity of the genital and foot receptors in the brain may be the reason behind this phenomenon. Since these two areas lie adjacent to each other, sometimes the signals get crossed, leading to arousal and sexual attraction.

Fetish vs. Kink

feet fetish — Image by **Merri J** on Unspash

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of a fetish is “an object or bodily part whose real or fantasied presence is psychologically necessary for sexual gratification, and that is an object of fixation to the extent that it may interfere with complete sexual expression.”

In contrast, kinks are described as whims, eccentricities, quirks, or “a mental or physical peculiarity.” Simply put, a foot fetish is a much more pronounced phenomenon compared to a kink. The main difference between the two is that they are one of degree, not kind. Thus, a foot kink can be considered a less severe type of foot fetish. To elucidate, a person with a foot kink enjoys the feet’ feel, look, or smell.

However, they typically consider this act a part of their sexual pleasure rather than the central portion. They may indulge in footplay or similar activities in their sexual activities. However, a person with a foot kink can do without it if needed.

In contrast, an individual with a foot fetish mandatorily requires foot-based stimulation to climax. Whether playing with feet or having their feet played with, they will have to involve foot play to achieve sexual completion. For a person with this fetish, the fixation with feet is not conditional but rather obligatory. Unlike a kink, a fetish is a pronounced sexual preference and, thus, the main activity to achieve its climax.

Why You Can Like Feet Without Having a Foot Fetish

Based on the differences between fetish and kink, you can like feet without having a foot fetish. Many factors can develop your attraction to feet. From early sexual experiences to a preference for sexy footwear, you can be turned by feet for several reasons. However, as long as feet are not the central focus of your fixation, it is not considered to be a fetish.

Instead, you can be said to have a preference or a mild kink for feet. Based on this, almost 1 in 7 people can be said to have an attraction for feet. A survey has reported that 1/7 of people in the US have experimented with feet at least once. However, the percentage of people with feet fetishes in the US is 3%, not the 14.28% that the above figure would equate to.

Based on these statistics, it would seem that rather than a full-blown fetish, many people exhibit a feet-based attraction or a kink at most. This example shows that you can like feet without having a feet fetish. A general liking for feet seems more common than a pronounced obsession with feet.

Where Can You Buy Feet Pics?

If you think you might be interested in feet, you may be tempted to buy foot pictures. When purchasing these items, you should look for platforms that prioritize user safety. A site like Feetfinder is preferred because it requires authentication to sign up. Whether you are a buyer or a seller, you need a verified ID to open your account. Feetfinder also has anti-bot support to remove bots from the profile. Moreover, it is a diverse marketplace, with over 1,000,000 sellers. Here, you can find any type of feet pics, including,