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I went in thinking "meh, let's check" and was surprised and quite amused about the "wholesomeness" of what could have been a very strange encounter. He seemed

I went in thinking "meh, let's check" and was surprised and quite amused about the "wholesomeness" of what could have been a very strange encounter. He seemed respectful and she seemed unbothered by the whole ordeal. Interesting, not my cup of tea, but definitely interesting. Something else that caught my attention was how early he believes his interest for feet developed, as early as six and nine years of age. I wonder how this slightly amusing predilection grows and develops over time, as to even gain sexual connotation.

vvvvgood633 6y ago
It’s pretty strange, I can remember liking feet in preschool and kindergarten. I have no idea why, though. Lately it’s gotten to be more of an “in theory” than “in practice” thing for me as I’ve come to learn about fungus and micro biome, etc. Eg https://au.news.yahoo.com/man-contracts-lung-infection-smelling-dirty-socks-012805024.html https://au.news.yahoo.com/man-contracts-lung-infection-smell...
- o_____________o 6y ago
  > I have no idea why, though. Check out the "The Penfield homunculus" and note that in the brain's sensory map, where we process foot sensations is very close to genitalia.
  - coldtea 6y ago
    Sure, but how is this relevant though? It's other people's feet people like, not their own (and so don't themselves feel those sensations when they touch them or whatever).
- iSnow 6y ago
  I'm not a doc but I would argue that the guy must have had severe fungal infection of his feet to get to a point where sniffing his socks poses a health hazard. Maybe even immuno-compromised. I doubt you can contract this from healthy feet even if you sniff them daily :)
  - atat7024 6y ago
    People regularly underestimate the damage of breathing in mold and fungus spores.
- coldtea 6y ago
  >I have no idea why, though. You mean, besides them being awesome?
  - labster 6y ago
    This answer is great, because it’s just something people like. Some people like espresso, some people listen to hip hop to relax, some people find meaning in Jackson Pollack paintings. There may be some underlying cause for foot fetishism like there is for the taste of cilantro. But ultimately, what’s awesome to you?
MeinBlutIstBlau 6y ago
I've been attracted to pregnant women since I was 3. Not gonna discuss my childhood much cause I do consider it private but it wasn't a sexual attraction then, but it was definitely a "I can't look away because I like looking at it" thing.
agency 6y ago
I found his “origin story” very interesting too. One theory I’ve heard for foot fetishism, which is the most common bodily fetish by far I believe, is essentially a neural equivalent of crossed-wires: Brain areas associated with the feet and with genitals being next to one another. His anecdote felt like an environmental thing though, with him having these foot-centric formative experiences. Though I guess you could spin it as nurture or nature - the experiences causing his fetish or simply this being the period when he first became aware of it as some latent thing.
- zinclozenge 6y ago
  I heard that crossed wires theory and I just don’t believe it. For me the simplest explanation is that there’s an entire industry built around selling sexy women’s footwear (heels) that draws attention to the foot, so it really shouldn’t be a surprise.
  - kevin_thibedeau 6y ago
    Why would shoes be considered sexy?
  - tsimionescu 6y ago
    Your theory doesn't explain male foot fetishism at all. Personally, I believe this has much more to do with the taboo nature of feet (as they are usually seen as dirty), similarly to other fetishes (e.g. urine). Foot fetishism is by no means a modern phenomenon driven by advertising.
    - trhway 6y ago
      >taboo nature i think everything that is closed/covered becomes such a taboo/fetish. Feet have been in shoes (and under a long dress for women) most of the recent times. Give a couple years more of the mask regime and lips/noses would become taboo/fetish too :)
  - jjk166 6y ago
    Seems more likely that a massive industry popped up around selling sexy footware (as opposed to say sexy satchels or sexy mittens) because there was a substantial demand for it. Perhaps the success of the industry has reinforced and perpetuated the belief that feet are sexy, but it doesn't make sense that some industrialist woke up one day and said "I'll make an extremely impractical shoe and sell millions by convincing the world it turns people on"
kolinko 6y ago
Perhaps it’s more like a sexual orientation than a fetish? So it would not be something that a person is just interested in and grows with time, but a primal thing that just gets activated at a certain age for him (just like attraction to a different/same gender for most of us)

vvvvgood633 6y ago

It’s pretty strange, I can remember liking feet in preschool and kindergarten. I have no idea why, though. Lately it’s gotten to be more of an “in theory” than “in practice” thing for me as I’ve come to learn about fungus and micro biome, etc. Eg https://au.news.yahoo.com/man-contracts-lung-infection-smelling-dirty-socks-012805024.html https://au.news.yahoo.com/man-contracts-lung-infection-smell...

o_____________o 6y ago
> I have no idea why, though. Check out the "The Penfield homunculus" and note that in the brain's sensory map, where we process foot sensations is very close to genitalia.
- coldtea 6y ago
  Sure, but how is this relevant though? It's other people's feet people like, not their own (and so don't themselves feel those sensations when they touch them or whatever).
iSnow 6y ago
I'm not a doc but I would argue that the guy must have had severe fungal infection of his feet to get to a point where sniffing his socks poses a health hazard. Maybe even immuno-compromised. I doubt you can contract this from healthy feet even if you sniff them daily :)
- atat7024 6y ago
  People regularly underestimate the damage of breathing in mold and fungus spores.
coldtea 6y ago
>I have no idea why, though. You mean, besides them being awesome?
- labster 6y ago
  This answer is great, because it’s just something people like. Some people like espresso, some people listen to hip hop to relax, some people find meaning in Jackson Pollack paintings. There may be some underlying cause for foot fetishism like there is for the taste of cilantro. But ultimately, what’s awesome to you?

MeinBlutIstBlau 6y ago

I've been attracted to pregnant women since I was 3. Not gonna discuss my childhood much cause I do consider it private but it wasn't a sexual attraction then, but it was definitely a "I can't look away because I like looking at it" thing.

agency 6y ago

I found his “origin story” very interesting too. One theory I’ve heard for foot fetishism, which is the most common bodily fetish by far I believe, is essentially a neural equivalent of crossed-wires: Brain areas associated with the feet and with genitals being next to one another. His anecdote felt like an environmental thing though, with him having these foot-centric formative experiences. Though I guess you could spin it as nurture or nature - the experiences causing his fetish or simply this being the period when he first became aware of it as some latent thing.

zinclozenge 6y ago
I heard that crossed wires theory and I just don’t believe it. For me the simplest explanation is that there’s an entire industry built around selling sexy women’s footwear (heels) that draws attention to the foot, so it really shouldn’t be a surprise.
- kevin_thibedeau 6y ago
  Why would shoes be considered sexy?
- tsimionescu 6y ago
  Your theory doesn't explain male foot fetishism at all. Personally, I believe this has much more to do with the taboo nature of feet (as they are usually seen as dirty), similarly to other fetishes (e.g. urine). Foot fetishism is by no means a modern phenomenon driven by advertising.
  - trhway 6y ago
    >taboo nature i think everything that is closed/covered becomes such a taboo/fetish. Feet have been in shoes (and under a long dress for women) most of the recent times. Give a couple years more of the mask regime and lips/noses would become taboo/fetish too :)
- jjk166 6y ago
  Seems more likely that a massive industry popped up around selling sexy footware (as opposed to say sexy satchels or sexy mittens) because there was a substantial demand for it. Perhaps the success of the industry has reinforced and perpetuated the belief that feet are sexy, but it doesn't make sense that some industrialist woke up one day and said "I'll make an extremely impractical shoe and sell millions by convincing the world it turns people on"

kolinko 6y ago

Perhaps it’s more like a sexual orientation than a fetish? So it would not be something that a person is just interested in and grows with time, but a primal thing that just gets activated at a certain age for him (just like attraction to a different/same gender for most of us)