Foot Fetish: Why Is It So Popular?

Ever wondered why some kinks are so popular? Or if you’re the only one getting turned on by that freaky thing you’re doing in bed? Or, maybe you’re just nosy and want to know why some people love nothing more than to suck on a smelly foot.

Well, question no more because every month a guest from the kink community is going to take over this column and give us the 411 on their chosen kink. This month International Dominatrix Eva Oh is here to tell us all about foot fetish… So spread your toes and get stuck in.

Foot fetishism is the most common sexual fetish in existence. Many such fetishists can be immediately aroused at the sight of a pleasurable foot. People love to Google “foot fetish”, porn sites host very popular categories dedicated to feet, and foot fetish was the first and most frequent session request that I received when I worked at a BDSM dungeon and even still throughout my independent career.

Over my last decade as a professional dominatrix I have been fortunate enough to experience an impressive range in this desire for feet. There are those who simply ache to bathe and massage them; some who are quite particular about the exact height of the arch; and there are also keen connoisseurs on the foot’s many aromas.

A common request I have received is to wear closed shoes without socks all day before a session to maximise the sweat, dirt and smell. Breathing it all in and licking off the full day has proven to be quite the indulgence for these individuals. I also adore dangling my feet teasingly out of reach before dipping them deep into willing mouths and throats. Or I enjoy the simple act of getting them kissed ‘Good Morning’ every day which can help to ground me and my submissives in a sweet and gentle BDSM ritual. Foot fetishism can reach into our minds and fulfil our senses of smell, touch, sight and taste to dissolve into a wondrous overwhelm, if you are so inclined.

Now what is behind these inclinations?

At the beginning of every session I spend some time finding out more about what drives the people who come to me and the workings behind their kinks. Sometimes foot fetishists have no exact idea but they simply catch themselves staring longingly at feet in open toed shoes around the office, or they might reveal a childhood story where the neighbourhood kids stood on them in a heated game of catch that stuck around as a regular fantasy. Some even find it thrilling to confront the disgust that they feel due to the taboo nature of feet in their cultures. The drivers, like the potential expressions of foot fetish, are wide ranging.

Freud theorised that people are drawn to feet as they resemble penises. Neuroscientists suggest that an erotic expression and connection is made as the the areas of the brain that control feet and genitalia are in close proximity. Or perhaps the 200,000 plus nerve endings in each foot simply make it an accessibly tactile and pleasurable exchange to occur between lovers.

As a fortunate and frequent receiver of foot worship, I get to receive the things that I consider ‘worship’ to be bestowed upon my feet. This includes a lot of gentle and harder touch, deep inhales from the worshipper, and lingering kisses with thoughtful sucking. To receive such luxurious attention to a part of my body that bears the weight of carrying me around all day feels relieving and indulgent. Plus, when I see the intense pleasure that it can also bring the foot fetishist caressing my feet it can tip us into an interconnected state of bliss.

Eva Oh, aka Mistress Eva, is an International Dominatrix who hosts the #teakink series and Safeword Podcast. She runs the BDSM slave training platform YouWillPleaseMe and has published a Sex Work Guide with proceeds supporting Singapore non-profit Project X.

Her professional career spans across the fields of strategic development, ethnographic research, sustainable design, social work and performance art. Eva has spoken on panels at Burning Man (USA), Pink Fest (Singapore) and Wonderfruit (Thailand), in order to celebrate BDSM culture worldwide. Her work, writing and views have been featured in Washington Post, WIRED, Rolling Stone, VICE and DAZED.

Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.