Foot fetishism: According to the Cult Dictionary of Eroticism, «podophilia» is erotic passion or sexual arousal for the feet. Also called a pronounced fetishistic interest in human feet, the pleasure generated by kissing, touching, stroking, licking, smelling, and sucking on feet. It is one of the most common fetishisms in men. Foot fetishism in women is a barely studied sexual behavior.
Whoever feels it receives the name of podolatrist because, as the word says, he is an individual who idolizes, who worships feet. The smell is also highly appreciated in these cases, there are even those who prefer a sweaty foot simply for its aroma.
Podophilia: Characteristic
Foot fetishism has been defined as a pronounced sexual interest in the feet. For the foot fetishist, points of attraction may include the shape and size of the feet and toes (for example, long toes, short toes, painted toenails, high arches, soles etc).
Jewelry (eg, toe rings, ankle rings, etc.), treatments (such as massage, washing partners feet or painting partner’s feet), dress status (barefoot, flip-flops, sandals, shoes high heels, hosiery, socked feet, etc.).
Foot odor and/or sensory interaction (eg, rubbing foot, tickling, sniffing, kissing, biting, licking, sucking toes, rubbing genitalia on foot, etc.). Extensions of this fetish include shoes, socks, and tickling.
Types
Already within the podophilic category we can find numerous variants: there are those who opt for the simple contemplation of the feet, with or without shoes, as a source of pleasure. There are also those who prefer to touch the feet of her lover, even kiss or lick them.
Others for their toes as the main spur of their libido. There is even the pedicure fetish! And it is that feminine feet with well-trimmed nails and a beautiful and delicate enamel can captivate many looks.
And, of course, footwear also conveys a large part of that desire: its fetishism is the most popular among all those that occur with female objects as protagonists. Hence, it is also one of the women’s accessories with the greatest tradition in the manufacture of erotic fashion. Good heels not only make the figure slender: they also embellish the foot.
History
The first historical records of podophilia appear at least ten centuries ago in China, under the reign of Li Yu, ruler of the Tang dynasty, also a poet and lover of the arts. He then imposed on his court the fashion of minimal female feet, which over time became a Chinese cultural institution, in force until its strict prohibition in 1912 by the communist government.
Apparently it had its origin in the imitation of a favorite of the aforementioned nobleman, the dancer Yao-niang, endowed with naturally small feet; she was pleased to display them in his exhibitions and the prince did not cease to celebrate them.
Enough for little feet to become a lofty status symbol; they were an aesthetic attribute of women: her most appreciated sign of beauty, her most powerful erotic claim and an indicator of her social position, since they implied that the lady did not take care of the tasks of the lower classes.
Causes
No single cause can be identified for a person to develop podophilia. They can be from past experiences that have marked the person, to neurological causes.
The important thing is to know when a particular hobby or taste becomes a problem.
If the person relies exclusively on the fetish for pleasure, if it makes them feel remorse, and if that remorse leads them to seek the fetish again, these may be signs that professional help should be sought.
One theory holds that it may be because the foot and genitalia occupy contiguous areas in the brain and there may be links between the two. It is also said that the attraction to this part of the body is related to the fact that the feet, like the genitals, are usually covered, or to the shape of the feet.
According to Freud
Freud psychoanalyzed many podiatrists and traced the origin of the disorder to childhood: the child’s urgent need to see his mother’s genitals was stopped or repressed and, therefore, he timidly lowered his eyes and held the foot as a fetish. And Jung affirmed that the foot (and not the face) is the symbol of the soul, because it is what sustains the human being erect (pun intended).
Is podophy a paraphilia?
Specialists consider foot fetish as a paraphilia, which consists of feeling sexual arousal for things, situations or parts of the body that are not usually related to sex.
Those with a paraphilia sometimes «depend obsessively and permanently on that fetish» for pleasure or arousal.
Grades
The fetish must be a complement to eroticization and not put any of the participants at risk, then we could speak of a «healthy» sexuality. On the other hand, if the arousal depends solely on the presence of that fetish or if it involves attacking oneself or another, we speak of a pathological situation.
In the sex toy industry, the foot fetish also has its place, with a wide variety of articles in the shape of feet, with different uses and functions that have been widely accepted in the market.