A brief review of fetishism and sexual variation pertaining to feet and shoes

1. Cameron Kippen
toeslayer2000@yahoo.com.au

2. Warning
Some of the images are pretty
stark. These are shown only, to
highlight the serious nature of
the subject.
The intention is not to shock,
but to inform.
If you are of a gentle persuasion
or easily offended by nudity then
please feel free to stop the
powerpoint.

3. The erotic charms of feet and shoes
The erotic charms of feet
and shoes were found in
many cultures from
occidental to oriental.
Foot loving dates to
antiquity.
The origins of
sexualisation of the foot
and shoe have been lost.

4. Fetishism
Fetish derives from the
Portuguese ‘feitiço’, and
Latin ‘factitius’ (facere,
to do or to make).
Commonly used by
French and German
scholars in the 18th
century to characterize
the earliest stages in the
evolution of religion.
Alfred Binet (1857-1911) took fetish
to describe a sexual variation in
1887.

5. Freud on Fetishism
Freud described sexual
fetish in men as a result of
childhood trauma regarding
castration anxiety.
The fetish object became a
token of triumph over the
threat of castration and a
protection against it.

6. Fetishism
Fetishism appears to represent
the anxiety of the sexual act
with the fetish itself a lucky
charm to transform the
terrifying reality into
something that transcends
anxiety.
Performance anxiety is a male fear
and this according to Steele (1996)
is one reason why fetishism is
almost always a male
preoccupation.

7. Peno- Centric Fetishism
Adult fetishist is the
inability to introduce
the penis into the
temple of doom
(vagina) without a
fetish to ease the way.
Kaplan (1991)

8. Levels of Fetishism
Level 1: Partialism (Stekel, 1964)
Level 2: Low intensity fetishism
Level 3: Moderate intensity
fetishism
Level 4: High level fetishism
(Gebhartt, 1994)

9. Fetish Continuum (Normal Behaviour)
Level 1: Partialism
Not a true fetish but
instead a liking towards.
A mild preference for
certain kinds of sexual
partners, sexual stimuli or
sexual activity.
(Stekel, 1964)
Popularity of foot sex has
increased since the discovery of
the HIV Virus

10. Fetish Continuum (Normal Behaviour)
Level 2 Low Intensity
Fetishism
A strong preference exists to
certain kinds of sexual
partners, sexual stimuli or
sexual activity.
Normal sexual relationships
continue but may incorporate
the object of attraction in
foreplay.

11. Fetish Continuum (Paraphilia)
Level 3 Moderate Intensity
Fetishism
Specific stimuli are necessary
for sexual arousal and sexual
performance.

12. Fetish Continuum (Paraphilia)
Level 4 High Level
Fetishism
Specific stimuli take the
place of the sexual partner.
(Gebhartt,1994)

13. Paraphilic and Paraphilic Type Behaviours
Paraphilia describes
abnormal digressive
behaviour where sexual
arousal and gratification
depend on fantasising
about and engaging in
sexual behaviour that is
atypical and extreme.

14. American Psychiatric Association
Paraphiliacs have several behavioural characteristics in
common.
They are recurrent, fixed, compulsive, sexually motivated,
and personally or socially maladaptive.
These preoccupations interfere with capacity for reciprocal
affection.
To meet this definition these behaviours should have been an
established pattern for no less than six months duration.

15. Classification of Paraphilic Type Behaviours
Exhibitionism
Fetishism
Frotteurism
Paedophilia
Sexual Masochism
Sexual Sadism
Transvestic Fetishism
Foot Fetishism is frequently cited
as the most common paraphilia

16. Causes of Paraphilia
Remains unknown, with many competing
Theories, including:
Early childhood experience which involves a
psychological or psychosexual catalyst.
A process of behavioural conditioning.
Neurological Anomalies including
imprinting
Other reasons including sexual phobia, or
impotence.
Most often occurs with other
paraphilic related behaviours

17. Profile of a Paraphilic Fetishist
The Stereotype
poorly developed
social skills;
quite isolated in their
lives; and
diminished capacity
for establishing
intimacy.

18. Object Fetish
Form Fetish e.g. shape
Media Fetish e.g. materials
Fetishism is commonly
associated with perversion
involving a sexual association
with an inanimate object like
feet, shoes or the material that
covers them.

19. Foot Fetishism
Pronounced sexual interest in
the lower limb or anything
that covers portions of them.
The allure normally attributed
to erogenous zones is literally
translocated downward and the
fetishist response to the foot is
the same as a conventional
person's arousal at seeing
genitals.
Brame, Brame & Jacobs (1996)

20. Profile of a foot fetishist
Stereotype
Male, married, and
otherwise normal.
Feet, not shoes, are the
sole focus of senual
pleasure.

21. Nicholas Edme Restif (1734-1806)
Shoe fetishists are called
restifists or retifists. The term
comes from the 18th century
French writer and libertine
Nicholas Edme Restif (1734
1806).
He wrote under the nome de
plume of Restif de la
Bretonne.
Restif had a strong sexual
attraction to shoes.

22. Retifism : Shoe fetishism
The shoe becomes the
erogenous zone and the aroma
of the shoe has powerful
aphrodisiac properties.
The delicate parts resemble
the anatomy of genitalia.
May not require the female
owner to participate.
Lovemaking incorporates all
that would take place around
genitalia. i.e. kissing, licking,
biting and caressing.

23. Retifist
Retifists may collect
shoes and personalise
their collection.
Retifists may steal the
shoes they are
attracted to. i.e.
kleptolagnia and
hephephilia
(Kiernan, 1917)

24. How was it for you?
Fetishists experience intense
sexual excitement and arousal
from direct pedal lovemaking
which takes place, either as a
pre-coital activity or substitute
for coitus itself.
Most fetishists are relieved when
partners accommodate foot
loving into normal intimacies.

25. How many are there?
There is no reliable data on the number of foot fetishists.
Guesstimates are between one quarter to three quarters
of one per cent of the total adult male population aged
over 17.
Ibrox Stadium

26. Sado-Masochism
The combination of sadism and masochism, in
particular the deriving of pleasure, especially sexual
gratification, from inflicting or submitting to
physical or emotional abuse.
The Marquis De Sade
(1740 - 1814)
Leopold von Sacher-
Masoch
(1835-95)

27. Sado-Masochism

28. Footbinding

29. Obsessive Compulsion
Shoe Collecting
This behaviour is not
thought to be paraphillic
nor a fetish.

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