Before we begin, let me set the stage.
It’s 2002 and 30-year-old me is featured in FHM magazine (remember that?) and the topic of the interview is – drum roll please – my feet.
Yes, I’m posing in lingerie, but the conversation turns to how my page on a then-obscure website known as ‘Wikifeet’ is filled with blown-up screenshots of my feet and toes from my various television appearances, along with a bright 4.5 star rating.
This was in the early 2000s and, sure, I thought it was a little strange that some men were out there coveting my feet instead of, well, everything else on offer.
But two decades later I still have men begging for photos of my feet… and I’m 52 years old! The fetish has not only grown: it has exploded.
As a happily single divorced woman, my DMs are flooded with messages from younger men, some as young as 25, and most of them ask me about my feet.
How I long to receive compliments on my smile or a gentlemanly invitation to a date. No, all I get is… ‘how much do feet pics cost?’
What was once a relatively rare fetish has become commonplace in the last 20 years. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t bother me; In fact, I find it quite entertaining, but I think this trend should be studied. It really is disconcerting.
Rozz Switzer, a 52-year-old single, has been inundated with direct messages on Instagram from young people with foot fetishes.
Two decades after her heyday as a lad’s magazine pin-up, Rozz still has men asking for photos of her feet. The fetish has not only grown since the early 2000s, he says, it has exploded.
Most of the time, these foot requests come through Instagram, which, let’s be honest, is basically a dating app these days.
Every time I post a poolside Instagram story and my feet are in the shot, my message requests explode. I’m talking hundreds of requests in a single day.
Some guys start out quite politely: testing the waters with “your feet are so beautiful.” Others skip the charm entirely and get right to the point with, “How much do feet pics cost?”
The curious thing is that many of these messages come from private accounts; It’s like they don’t want me to know who they are. But from what I can see, it’s clearly a diverse group of guys.
Message requests come from all kinds: traders, CEOs, city dwellers, country boys, you name it. I’ve received direct messages from people ages 25 to 75, some married, some single, some liberal couples, and even people I know.
But for me, there is a firm line: anyone who is too close in age to my children should be blocked and removed immediately. My oldest son is almost 20, so I’m not interested in receiving messages from those who could pass for one of his peers.
Now, most of these guys have no qualms about introducing themselves and usually tell it like it is. I think they think, ‘Why not try it? After all, what’s the worst that could happen?
Their messages are usually not subtle. ‘You’re hot, show more of your sexy feet, please?’ It’s a common one. “I want to massage your feet” is another popular option.
Rozz says many of the men who request photos of their feet are in their 20s.
I admit, some of the requests make me laugh; Others I delete immediately.
And let’s not pretend this is a ‘creepy type’ thing. Which is not. You’d be surprised who comes into my DMs, whether it’s because they like feet or just because they’re attracted to older women in general. Young men are the ones that surprise me the most, but there are married men, gym addicts, men from all walks of life.
Foot fetishes are universal and certainly not restricted by age. I learned that there is a whole world out there that I didn’t know about until these messages started coming.
So what is the going rate for feet pics? Well, my honest answer would be, ‘How long is a piece of rope… and then add a little bit?’
I’m going to make it clear that I’m not above accepting an offer if the price is right, and let me be clear: I’m only talking about straight-up, below-the-knee shots! I’ve been offered a lot in my time and even accepted a few when they threw thousands of dollars at me, and I say, why not?
If someone wants to shell out that kind of money for a quick snapshot of my toes, I’m not complaining. What’s a couple of harmless photos of your feet to make someone else happy? Honestly, I’m flattered that they even thought my feet were worthy.
Rozz appeared in FHM magazine in 2002 and men were eager to see her feet too.
And I’m not alone in this. Margot Robbie was offered $500,000 for a single photograph of her feet. British singer Lily Allen has admitted that she has made more money from the content of her feet than from her music. Clearly, there’s a whole world out there of cashed-in foot fetishists that I wasn’t aware of until my DMs started proving otherwise.
Another observation I’ve made is that there is definitely a correlation between ‘foot guys’ and ‘MILF guys’. The men who chase me, regardless of their age, have the same problems: red polish on their fingers, anklets, rings on their fingers, stilettos…
Is it strange? Maybe. But harmless.
Now the question you probably feel like asking is this: What is a 52-year-old woman doing bragging about how young men ask for feet photos?
I admit, I was hesitant to share my story.. But the conclusion is that I am a 52 year old single working mother who still receives attention from young men. How many women can say that?
At the age when most women start to feel invisible, I get more attention than ever. Even if it’s just for my feet, I’m not complaining.