What Is a Foot Fetish? 6 Ideas for Foot Play

A foot fetish (also called foot partialism, podophilia, or foot fetishism) refers to a sexual interest in which a person requires a form of interaction with feet for sexual gratification. Foot fetishists may become sexually aroused by toes, toe or foot shapes, toenails, ankles, foot-related jewelry, accessories like socks and hosiery, or foot odor. This sexual desire can come from various interactions, including imagining, looking at, touching, smelling, kissing, penetrating, or dressing men’s or women’s feet. According to sex experts, foot fetishism is the most prominent of all forms of partialism (or sexual interest in traditionally non-sexual body parts).

Whether you have a foot kink or a foot fetish, high arches or flat feet, you can enjoy foot play in your sexual routine. Here are some fun ideas to try solo or with a partner:

1. 1. Try a foot bath. If you’re into clean, fresh-smelling feet, then a sensual foot bath is a great way to introduce foot play into your sex life. Place your or your partner’s feet into a partially filled bathtub or a small washbasin of warm water, then use a sponge to rub, stimulate, and clean them. Set the mood by incorporating aromatic soaps or bath salts to engage your olfactory senses, and perform a soapy massaging to increase blood flow. Skip the bath if foot odor is a part of your fetish.
2. 2. Experiment with different sensations. Feet are sensitive to subtle changes in sensation because they contain thousands of nerve endings. Take advantage of this sensitivity by using various objects to stimulate your or your partner’s feet. Feathers, cold or warm objects, vibrators, or massage oil (for a sensual foot massage) can elicit different sensations along the erogenous zones of the feet.
3. 3. Dress them up. Take time to discuss specific preferences with your partner regarding foot presentation. After determining your preferences, search for items to wear that will fulfill both of your desires. While some enjoy bare feet, others with foot fetishes are especially attracted to feet in particular footwear or with painted nails. You can model high heels, allow your partner to paint your toenails or give you a pedicure, or don hosiery for a foot-play session.
4. 4. Perform a footjob. If you or your partner are a penis owner, a footjob can be a fun way to switch up your routine and bring more foot play into the bedroom. Using your toes and arches, rub up and down your partner’s penis (with lube to avoid friction), using your feet to mimic the motion of a hand job. If you lack foot dexterity, use one foot to press your partner’s penis into their stomach and rub them up and down, giving you more grip and stability. You can also perform a footjob on your vulva-owning partners, using your feet to rub their vulva or other parts of their body. Trim your toenails before performing a footjob to avoid scratching your partner’s genitals.
5. 5. Use your lips, tongue, and teeth. Kissing can be a great way to enjoy a foot kink with a partner. Depending on what you and your partner are comfortable with, play with different levels of sensation—for instance, a gentle kiss, a light trailing of your tongue, some nibbling, or a full-on French kiss.
6. 6. Consider some dominance and submission play. Some people with foot kinks also enjoy varying levels of dominance and submission (often shortened to D/s), a component of BDSM (short for bondage and discipline, domination and submission, sadism and masochism). If you and your partner enjoy D/s, combining it with foot kinks or foot worship can help you reach even higher levels of sexual pleasure. A dominant partner may enjoy pressing their feet into their submissive partner’s body or having the sub kneel and worship their feet. Establish clear consent before performing any BDSM-related activity on your partner.

While the terms kink and fetish overlap in meaning, there is a notable distinction between the two forms of sexual interest. A kink is when a person derives sexual arousal or pleasure from a nontraditional source but is not dependent upon it for arousal.

Alternately, a person with a fetish typically requires interaction with their specific sexual interest for arousal or sexual gratification. A foot fetishist may not be able to orgasm without imagining or interacting with feet.

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