But don't take my word for it. I approached a few of the straight guys here at the office, all in their mid-20s to early 30s, and confronted them with this hypothetical question: If a gay friend with a foot fetish asked nicely, would they let him "worship" their feet? And could they remain friends after he asked?

"I have got the ugliest feet of anyone I know," said Ben, age 31, who blushed prettily when confronted with this question. "I had ski-boot problems when I was a kid. I have bone spurs, my big toes are huge and bent at 45 degree angles toward my little toes, and I have athlete's foot. I don't think I would be real comfortable with anyone slobbering over my feet. It's too weird and my feet are too ugly. And they smell, too."

Would Ben be able to remain friendly with a gay man who asked to worship his absolutely gruesome feet? "I wouldn't lose respect for him," Ben said, thoughtfully. "I would probably gain respect for him, since it would take a lot of courage to talk about something so strange. I'd still have to say no, though, but we could stay friends."

Mike, age 28, would also turn a same-sex foot worship request down cold. "That would be crossing the line of friendship," he said. "It's kinda creepy. It's not really a homo/hetero thing, more just a matter of respect for personal boundaries." Could he stay friendly? "Sure, I guess." Brad, age 25, said no, too. "I would still be his friend," said Brad, "as long as he shut up about it and didn't bring it up all the time after I said no."

All my straight male co-workers said they would allow a gay friend with a foot fetish to take pictures of their feet, even knowing these pictures would be jerked off to later, and none would have a problem having casts made of their feet (so long as you provided them with pizza and beer during the casting process). All three admitted that--personal boundaries and ugly feet hang-ups notwithstanding--they would allow a gay male friend to slobber over their feet in exchange for $500.

Finally, intending no disrespect to Ben, Mike, and Brad, I would be remiss in neglecting to point out that straight guys can be talked into just about anything when they're drunk. FYI.

I am a 24-year-old breeder female who can't figure out what to call a turn-on of mine. If his dick and balls brush against my feet when my boyfriend goes down on me, I go insane with desire! Would this be considered a "foot fetish"? Or does a foot fetish require being turned on by feet themselves? Define this quirk of mine!

Sensitive Feet

The American Heritage Dictionary defines fetish as "a material object or non-sexual part of the body that arouses sexual desire and may become necessary for sexual gratification... an abnormally obsessive preoccupation or attachment." By The American Heritage Dictionary's standards, SF, you're no foot fetishist. You aren't obsessed with your boyfriend's feet or your own, and your boyfriend's cock is definitely a sexual part of his body. You enjoy a specific activity--his cock rubbing your feet while he eats your pussy--which is more circumstance or position than fetish. If you feel a need to define this activity, I think "quirk" is a pretty serviceable definition.

My boyfriend has a foot fetish. I am open minded sexually, and I understand that looking at feet is an unstoppable urge for him. I don't mind the videos, the websites, or my fashion magazines dog-eared to pages with pictures of models' feet. But I get upset when I am with him and he can't carry on a conversation with me because there's a girl wearing sandals close by. It's very disrespectful. We have talked about it, I have cried about it, and he always promises to try harder. What do people who love people with fetishes do to deal with their personal insecurities?

I Saw That!

You've tried talking, you've tried crying; maybe it's time to try humiliating him. The next time he can't carry on a conversation because there's a woman in sandals in the room, walk up to the woman, point to your boyfriend, and announce in a loud voice that the foot fetishist over there is staring at her feet. Most women will flee, taking their feet with them, and you and your boyfriend can return to your conversation.

As for your insecurities, IST, if you're gonna be a foot fetishist's girlfriend, you're gonna have to get used to your boyfriend checking out other women's feet. The sight of a woman in sandals is to him what the sight of a woman topless is to most other men. As he intends no disrespect, but also can't help staring, you'll either have to get over your insecurities or dump your foot-fetishist boyfriend.

I'm a 32 year-old Asian male living in Seattle. I am attracted to ladies with attractive lady feet. I've taken out ads in fetish magazines in hopes of meeting a woman who shares my obsession, but did not get a single response. I want to meet an attractive lady who wants a man to kiss and lick her feet on a daily basis. Is there any place I can actually go in Seattle to meet attractive ladies who share my obsession?

Asian Foot Lover Can't Indulge Obsession

Well, AFLCIO, citing frequent 911 calls, neighbor complaints, and "corns," Mark Sidran closed down nearly all of Seattle's foot-fetishist clubs. But thanks to Nick Licata, Seattle's foot-fetishist scene is booming again! Check out the lovely lady feet at the Blue Star on Stone Way, Canlis on Aurora, and Jersey's Sports Bar on Seventh Avenue. There's always a dozen or more people at the Blue Star in not much more than flip-flops, while Canlis attracts an upscale crowd of well-connected foot fetishists in Roman-style lace-up sandals.

Canlis is currently the hot spot--there's a reason this popular fetish hangout is located on Aurora --but after a brawl at Canlis during an after-hours foot-fetish party, TOES, Microsoft's foot-fetishists club (Techies are Over-Eager Shrimpers), was officially 86'ed. These code-chompin' shrimpers have been spotted lately at Belltown's Brasa. Finally, you can't go wrong at Jersey's Sports Bar, Seattle's oldest foot-fetish hangout, where every Wednesday they host the ever-popular foot-fetish dance night "Club Foot."

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