13 Signs You're Dating a Foot Fetishist

I have a very long history with foot fetishism. Much of that is thanks to my dating history. My first run-in with a foot fetish happened in high school. He was my boyfriend, and at the time, I didn't realize he had a thing for toes until someone pointed out that he spent an inordinate amount of time rubbing my feet.

That guy was one of many. Very many.

For reasons beyond my understanding, people tend to find my feet unusually attractive. Almost every person I have ever dated was a fan of feet, and in many cases, were more into that part of my body than the traditional parts others would notice.

This actually boded well for me in my past career as a fetish model. I had little problem booking well-paying gigs that involved me doing little more than flaunting my feet on camera. Incidentally, my career also helped me learn the inner workings of a foot fetishist's mind.

These days, I can pick out a foot fetishist from a mile away. This is actually a pretty awesome thing, since I actually learned that I enjoy having my feet rubbed, getting pedicures, and adore getting gifts of shoes from time to time.

Dating a person with a thing for feet has a lot of perks. If you love getting your tootsies pampered, keep an eye out for the signs that you're dating a foot fetishist—and keep dating that person!

Before we talk about the telltale signs of a foot fetish, let's clear the air about the subject.

Some fetishes and kinks are pretty accepted in society, but not this one. This fetish has sadly gotten a lousy (and misunderstood) reputation among mainstream people. They are often considered to be creepy, weird, or downright gross by those who don't understand foot fetishism.

Foot fetishism, also known as podophilia, isn't that uncommon. While it may not be one of the most popular sexual fetishes overall, it's high on the list when it comes to fetishizing specific body parts. Feet are the third most commonly fetishized non-reproductive body part following breasts and behinds. Statistically speaking, someone you know is probably a foot fetishist.

If you thought you could tell who's a foot fetishist by how creepy they are, you are wrong. There are plenty of charming and attractive people who are into feet. Many celebrities, including Ludacris, Britney Spears, Elvis Presley, and Dita Von Teese have admitted to having this fetish.

Foot fetishism also can take a wide variety of different mannerisms. Some may be attracted to the idea of rubbing feet. Others may like seeing feet in high heels, socks, or sneakers. Others may want to sniff them, lick them, or even get trampled by them.

Many sexologists would say that it's a "spectrum" fetish, with both mild and extreme forms. So, just because someone's into feet doesn't mean that they want to get smacked by your toes. It could just be something as simple as liking the idea of rubbing your feet.

Now that we've gotten that cleared up, let's talk about the signs that someone you're dating is a foot fetishist.

You catch them staring at your feet.

Most foot fetishists are very shy about their attraction to feet, specifically because it's taboo. So, many of them will not admit it unless you non-judgmentally confront them about it yourself.

This leads to many foot lovers trying to just get a glimpse at feet when they can. For some guys, it's actually the only way they really indulge in their fetish. They just are too shy to try anything else.

If you notice your date stealing glances at your toes, then you're seeing one of the more common signs that you're dating a foot fetishist.

Your date mentions your pedicures on a regular basis.

Are you one of the many people who enjoy getting pedicures as a way to relax an unwind? Most people will not notice that, simply because they don't look at other peoples' feet long enough to bother looking at your toes' nail polish.

A foot fetishist, on the other hand, will notice—and will most likely get turned on by it. Some might even make a comment on your nail polish as a way to cover up the fact that they're checking out your feet.

Contrary to popular belief, most foot fetishes do not like seeing dirty, ill-kempt feet. For most people who find feet attractive, very few things top a pair of polished, lotioned, and softened up feet.

They regularly offer you lots of massages that often end at your feet.

Here's the thing that most people don't realize about dating a foot fetishist: you get lots of free massages. This is because most people are very shy about their feet, and most fetishists are shy about being open about their kink.

That means that the easiest way for a fetishist to get contact with your feet is to offer a back rub that slowly travels to your feet—or to just play the role of supportive partner that wants to help you relax after a hard day's work.

If you notice him looking disappointed when you turn down a foot rub, chances are very high that he's a foot fetishist and was hoping to get a little action going on. After all, when was the last time you've ever seen someone get disappointed for not being able to spend time rubbing someone down platonically?

They make comments about your footwear, or call certain types of heels "sexy."

Many podophiles tend to have a thing for a specific type of footwear, such as stiletto heels, sneakers, sandals, or goth boots. If you notice that your date regularly makes comments about a certain type of footwear or actively encourages you to wear a certain pair of shoes, he has a foot fetish.

On a similar note, many foot fetishists may get turned on by the act of going shoe shopping with a lover. This is particularly true with male fetishists. If you want to indulge him (and yourself) in a new pair of shoes, suggest it to him as a date idea.

He finds reasons to grab your feet or tickle them.

In many cases, foot fetishism can have a more playful side to it. This is particularly true when it comes to tickle fetishists or people who tend to get very playful in bed or for people who enjoy wrestling as a form of foreplay.

Though this might sound weird on paper, in action, it can be very cute and downright endearing. I ought to know, my current partner loves to pounce on my feet and tickle them when we fool around.

You catch your date sniffing your feet during a foot rub.

This should be obvious, but just in case it's not, let me spell it out for you. People who aren't attracted to feet won't go out of their way to smell them, because most people tend to find the smell of a human foot to be pretty gross.

Believe it or not, most people who are into feet don't actually find the foot smell to be that attractive, either. A person who's trying to subtly get a whiff is almost certainly deeply attracted to feet.

You caught your date "smell testing" your socks in the laundry bin.

True story: this happened to me when I was dating one guy during my early 20s. I had a big batch of laundry that I needed to do, some of which was (regrettably) weeks overdue.

While I was busy fixing dinner, my boyfriend was lounging in the laundry room. It was odd, but whatever. When I went to grab him for dinner, I caught my boyfriend fishing through my laundry basket, a sock across his face, with a boner in his hand.

Obviously, I wasn't very pleased by the privacy intrusion so I kicked him out and let him keep my socks. If you see anything like that, you're looking at one of the clearer signs you're dating a foot fetishist with boundary issues.

The person in question regularly compliments your feet in ways most others wouldn't.

A typical person won't compliment your feet, period. If anything, they may tell you that your feet "aren't that bad" during a foot rub that you have to badger them into doing.

Foot fetishists, though, will typically encourage you to flaunt your feet for obvious reasons. They will often do this by saying things like, "Your feet are so soft!" and "Your feet look so pretty! Why aren't you wearing sandals more often?"

When you remove your shoes and socks, your date gets quiet.

Remember how I mentioned that most people try to hide the fact that they're into feet? Most foot fetishists do well for the most part—until they actually see the shoes of someone they're really attracted to come off.

Then, they might forget to keep their cool. They might suddenly go from talking casually about a random topic to being unusually quiet as you put away your shoes. Then, much like a computer in reboot, they'll start talking again.

Your date regularly compliments your legs a lot.

Though this isn't one of the more guaranteed signs you're dating a foot fetishist, it is a very good indicator that something kinky might be afoot. (Pun intended.)

A very large percentage of foot fetishists also have leg fetishes as well, so if you hear compliments towards one, you might end up finding that they admire the other, too.

Instead of asking for nudes, your date asks for pictures of your feet.

Though this isn't the most socially acceptable thing to do, some foot fetishists still do it—and a rare few will actually go so far as to ask for them right off the bat on dating sites. Creepy? Maybe a little, but it's a pretty certain indicator that you're dating someone who's into feet.

When you "play footsie," his reaction is one of serious arousal.

Most people have, at one point or another, playfully grazed a lover's groin with their toes. For many people, it takes a couple of strokes straight to the groin in order to get some signs of arousal going on.

A foot fetishist, on the other hand will typically become visibly hot and bothered by the time your toes graze their thigh. If you notice your date giving a quick gasp, blushing, or stammering, you're dating a foot fetishist who's in heat.

Your date openly admits they have a thing for feet.

If your date is one of the rare people who openly admits to being into feet, then you shouldn't be looking for any other signs you're dating a foot fetishist.

It's very rare to find someone who's that up front about their sex life, so if you're cool with trying out new things, now is the time to do it. Go ahead and talk with your beau about their kink. Who knows? You might find you like it, too.