THE FIRST TIME Carlos, 35, realized he might like feet more than the average person, he was a teenager. “My best friend in high school, who was also a guy, had size 13 feet. One time, we were playing around in my room, and he had his socks off, and he put his foot on my face, and I felt myself get really aroused by the smell,” he recalls. “I discovered my foot fetish fairly early in my sexual life.”
Mark, 33, was similarly young when he realized he had a foot fetish, although he knew he had a “reaction” to the sight of a barefoot man ever since he was eight or nine years old. “I grew up in the theater, and backstage or onstage, when a man was barefoot, my heart would speed up a little bit. I was very aware of it. I didn’t know why, and it startled and confused me,” he says. “…It was scary, but, eventually, when I opened myself up to exploring it, it was exciting.” He had his first sexual encounter with a man’s foot around age 18.
Lee, 35, was more of a late bloomer whose “foot fetish blossomed over time,” he says. “But the first moment I remember getting into it was with my ex, Matt.” They were hanging out at Lee’s apartment when, out of the blue, Matt shared that he had a foot fetish. “I was initially meh about it until I realized that he meant that he liked having his feet worshipped,” Lee says. “I jumped on it immediately, dropping to my knees and going to town worshipping his feet.”
While each of these men discovered their foot fetish in their own way and on their own timeline, they’re not alone in their attraction to heels, toes, and even soles. Dr. Justin Lehmiller, a research fellow at the Kinsey Institute, surveyed more than 4,000 Americans about their sexual fantasies for his book Tell Me What You Want. Among other kinks, he asked about foot and toe fantasies.
“I found that 14 percent of my participants reported having had a sexual fantasy before in which feet or toes played a prominent role,” Lehmiller says. Taking gender and sexual orientation into account, some folks tend to be more into feet than others, with 21 percent of gay and bisexual men having fantasized about feet. The next most prevalent population group was heterosexual men with 18 percent, followed by lesbians and bisexual women with 11 percent. The population group least likely to fantasize about feet was heterosexual women with only five percent having done so.
It’s important to note, however, that “fantasy” and “fetish” are not interchangeable terms. “Just because someone has fantasized about feet before doesn’t necessarily mean that they have a fetish for feet—just that they’ve been turned on by the idea of feet at least once,” says Lehmiller. “So while about one in seven people reported having had a foot fantasy before, the number who have a true fetish for feet, in the sense of being primarily or only attracted to feet, is likely much smaller than that.”
But what people with feet fetishes may lack in numbers, they make up for in passion. Don’t just take our word for it, though. Ahead, these three men open up about their love of feet and the role this fetish plays in their sex lives:
What turns you on most about feet?
“First and foremost is probably the smell; they’re a little clammy and musky, especially when unwashed. I love feet right after the gym or a run. They have a salty taste. I also love the skin on the feet. It’s surprisingly soft (when taken care of). I also love how plump and juicy the bottoms of heels, toes, and soles can be.” — Carlos
“I like that it’s partially taboo. Being queer and non-binary, I’ve had to make a lot of reconciliation with a lot of my identity being outside of societal norms. But it’s also a fascinating part of the body; from an engineering standpoint, it’s incredibly complex. I also like the curves of a high arch and a heel. But, mostly, it’s about intimacy. If someone is willing to be barefoot around you, some walls need to be broken down to find comfort where their feet aren’t protected. They’re home, or they’re relaxed. They’re not looking to be able to leave on a moment’s notice.” — Mark
“For me, there’s a huge overlap between my foot fetish and BDSM. I generally love the feeling of being dominated, humiliated, and degraded. Insulting verbal, slapping, and choking are also huge turn-ons, so getting stepped on feels like a natural extension of that. On the flip side, while I don’t have much of a Dom[inant] streak, I like being on the receiving end of foot play because it just feels really good! For some people, their nipples are wired; for me, it’s my feet.” — Lee
How do you act out (or upon) your foot fetish?
“I engage in my foot fetish primarily by sucking on toes or licking feet while fucking. I prefer dirty/natural feet to clean ones. I don’t particularly like painted toenails, just because I like feet in their natural state.” — Carlos
“I love touching it with any part of my body. I love licking or sucking. Foot jobs and anal play with toes can be hot. Toenail polish can be cute. It’s not a pre-requisite, but it’s not a deterrent either. I don’t mind a certain amount of daily musk or signs of the day, but once the smell or level of dirt is real present or noticeable, I’m not turned on anymore.” — Mark
What do you look for in a foot? Toes, texture, color, smell?
“It’s a texture and smell thing; I’ve noticed in the foot community there is a divide between people who like the tops of feet and those who like the bottoms, and I’m definitely a soles girl.” — Carlos
“I love big feet. Usually size 10 to 15. Long, slender, soft toes and arches without callouses are my preferred. And proportionate nail beds are my favorite.” — Mark
“Because it’s so tied to BDSM play for me, I’m not super picky about the actual foot itself.”— Lee
What do you wish people knew about foot fetishes?
“I just wish it wasn’t so villainized. Most people have never explored a world of sensation, intimacy, and excitement because they think it’s weird or funny. But sex itself is weird and funny. Plus, there are so many nerve endings in the foot, and once they’re stimulated, some people feel as much sensation as oral sex. There’s a whole world of pleasure you’re shutting yourself off from. Find someone who makes you comfortable and take a risk. It just might blow you