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Ramachandran proposed that an accidental link between these regions could explain the prevalence of foot fetishism. There exists controversy regarding this neural crosslink, as some medical professionals have been known to question the simplicity of the map in comparison to reality.įoot fetishism may be caused by the feet and the genitals occupying adjacent areas of the somatosensory cortex, possibly entailing some neural crosstalk between the two. The cortical homunculus (also known as Penfield's Homunculus), a map of the human brain illustrating respective locations for where different parts of the body are processed, shows a possible link between the feet and toes to the genitalia. In a general sense, sexual fetishism can be caused by a number of factors, no singular cause for any type of fetishism has been conclusively established. While many works on the topic exist, their conclusions are often regarded as highly speculative. Similar to other forms of sexual fetishism, no consensus has yet been established about the specific causes of foot fetishism. Researchers using a polling agency to conduct a survey of the general Belgian population in 2017 found that of 1027 respondents, 76 of the men (17%) and 23 of the women (4%) answered "Agree" or "Strongly agree" to a fetish interest in feet. įoot fetishism may be more common in men than in women.

In ranking only those phrases that included the word "fetish", it was found that the most common search was for feet. In August 2006, AOL released a database of the search terms submitted by their subscribers. įoot fetishism is the most common form of sexual fetish related to the body. Among those people preferring objects related to body parts, 32% were in groups related to footwear (shoes, boots, etc.). Among those people preferring body parts, feet and toes were preferred by the greatest number, with 47% of those sampled preferring them. It was concluded that the most common fetishes were for body parts or for objects usually associated with body parts (33% and 30%, respectively).

(b) the number of individuals participating in the groups.

(a) the number of discussion groups devoted to a particular fetish.

Researchers estimated the prevalence of different fetishes based on the following elements: To estimate the relative frequency of fetishes, in 2006 researchers at the University of Bologna examined 381 Internet discussions of fetish groups, in which at least 5,000 people had been participating.

The fetish objects are not limited to female articles of clothing used in cross-dressing or devices used for genital stimulation.

These fantasies, urges or behaviors cause significant distress in a social, occupational or personal environment.

Experiencing recurrent sexually arousing fantasies, urges, or behaviors involving the use of non-living objects over a period of at least six months.

In extreme cases, an individual with a pronounced sexual interest in feet could possibly be diagnosed with fetishism disorder (characterized by the eroticization of non-living objects and body parts) if they are in adherence with the following symptoms: Odor fetishism (pertaining to the smell of feet) seems to play a major role in foot fetishism, and is closely related to it: in a 1994 study, 45% of those with a foot fetish were found to be aroused by smelly socks or feet, making it one of the most widespread forms of olfactophilia. Sigmund Freud also considered foot binding as a form of fetishism, although this view was disputed. Įxtensions of this fetish include shoes, socks, olfactophilia (odor fetishism) and tickling. toe rings, anklets, etc.), treatments (such as massaging, washing partner's feet or painting partner's toenails), state of dress ( barefoot, flip flops, ballet flats, sandals, high heels, hosiery, socked feet, etc.), foot odor or sensory interaction (e.g., rubbing the foot, tickling, licking, rubbing genitals on foot, etc.). For a foot fetishist, points of attraction may include the shape and size of feet, feet soles, toes, jewelry (e.g.

Characteristics and related fetishes įoot fetishism has been defined as a pronounced sexual interest in feet.