Foot Worship: What It Is and How to Start

If you have ever wanted to spend an evening focused on someone's feet, you are not alone, and it has a name. This guide explains what foot worship means, what people actually do, how to start the conversation, and how to find partners who share the interest.

Foot worship means giving a partner's feet your full attention

Foot worship is a form of foot fetish play in which one person focuses affectionate, admiring attention on a partner's feet. It can be gentle and romantic or part of a dominant and submissive dynamic, and it does not have to involve anything beyond the feet themselves. For many people it is about the closeness and the trust as much as the feet. As with any kind of play, it begins with two people who both want it.

What people actually do

The usual list is simple. People massage a partner's feet, wash them, paint the toenails, kiss them, tickle them or lick them. Some enjoy admiring the shape of the feet, the soles, the toes, or jewelry such as toe rings and anklets. Others like being gently stepped on. Nobody does all of it, and what is included is worked out between the two people involved.

How common is the interest?

More common than many people assume. In an American study by the researcher Justin Lehmiller, about 14 percent of respondents said they had sexual experience involving feet at least once. In a Belgian survey, 17 percent of men and 4 percent of women said they had an interest in feet. Researchers still disagree about where a foot fetish comes from, and there is no agreed explanation.

Talk first, then start slowly

Raise it when you are both relaxed, and say plainly what draws you to it. Ask what your partner is comfortable with, what they would like to try and what is off limits, and agree on a word that stops things at once. Starting with a foot massage is an easy first step, because it feels good whether or not it goes any further.

Practical tips for a good first time

Clean feet make everything more comfortable, so wash first and keep nails trimmed. Set the mood with a towel, warm light and a little massage oil or lotion. Go at your partner's pace, check in often and stop the moment they want to. If you are on the receiving end, say what feels good, because nobody can guess.

Where to meet people who enjoy it too

Telling someone new that you are into feet can feel awkward, which is the reason a foot fetish dating site helps. Everyone there already knows what you mean, so you can be honest from the first message. Be clear and respectful, take your time getting to know each other, and meet somewhere public the first time.