Foot fetishism, also known as foot partialism or podophilia, refers to a sexual interest in feet. Similar to other fetishes, individuals with a foot fetish experience varying degrees of sexual attraction to feet, from merely viewing the foot as a pleasing part of the human body alongside other parts, to sexually activity involving feet being the only way that the fetishist can climax. It is the most commonly discussed type of sexual fetishism for a body part fetish in pornographic Internet forums, and is the most common type of culturally atypical body part fetishism, with studies estimating it to affect 14% of the human population in some way, though the amount of individuals who are only able to or usually prefer to climax to feet is likely smaller. It is most common in men, with a slight increase in gay and bisexual men, and is least common in heterosexual women.
The appeal of foot fetishism like with other fetishes is idiosyncratic, common reasons cited by foot fetishists in studies include an element of humiliation and domination, the sensitivity of the feet and its usage as an erogenous zone in sex, and as part of a greater form of olfactophilia due to foot odor. Elements of traditional attitudes related to femininity and masculinity have also been noted in terms of symbolic parts of the fetish. The cause of any type of fetishism is largely speculative, but is thought to be a complex interplay of events in prenatal neurodevelopment, cultural, and psychodynamic factors. In rare cases, temporal lobe epilepsy can cause extreme displays of foot fetishism and other paraphilias.
Foot fetishism, when it is not accompanied by antisocial expressions of the fetish such as burglary of footwear or non-consensual contact, or considerable psycho-social distress or impairment in daily life, is considered by contemporary psychiatric and medical institutions to be a valid expression of human sexuality and not pathological. The medical treatment of those with foot fetishism that is considered pathological is the same as other fetishes and paraphilias, which is primarily focused on reducing shame regarding the sexual fantasy in psychotherapy, and if absolutely needed, psycho-pharmacological treatments to reduce impulsive behavior such as SSRIs or medications that directly inhibit the sexual libido, such as antiandrogens, as well as the treatment of co-morbid disorders due to stress being a common trigger for impulsive sexual behavior.
Shoe fetishism and boot fetishism can be connected to foot fetishism, though they are not mutually inclusive with foot fetishism.
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