Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Like feet, footwear fetish

Boot fetishism

Boot fetishism is very closely related to shoe fetishism. Many of the same sexual appeals regarded high-heeled shoes apply to boots. In most cases the fetish of the boot is accompanied by a fetish for the material which it is made from. Examples could be leather, rubber, or latex. High-heeled boots help to elongate the calf, creating a longer-legged appearance which is generally considered to be more sexually attractive.

In general, boots can be divided into three primary structural categories and sub-divided from there. There are ankle-length, knee-high, and thigh-high boots.

There are many potential turn-ons that could arise from boots. Usually the action of the wearer's legs provide many of arousals boot fetishists have. For instance, slowing crossing the legs after being seated or small subtle movements of the booted legs can provide for a visual stimulus. In cases of leather boots, the leather itself can be very reflective and glossy and create further visual appeals. The heels of the boots can also provide sexual appeal, the most common sexual heel being the stiletto heel. The soles of women's boots are attractive as well.

One theory of these kinds of fetishes, is that an infant's experience of their mother in many cultures may involve crawling around their feet. If sexual behavioral imprinting occurs during this time, it may lead to the feet, shoes, or boots becoming the primary object of arousal.

Rubber boot fetishism

An example of a type of boot fetish is for rubber boots, either the knee-high form of Wellington boots or the taller form of waders. This fetish can manifest itself in a variety of ways, such as:

* Protection from mud, manure, water, or snow
* Immersing and flooding the boot
* The sound of the boots "squelching" in and out of mud
* Boots worn on oneself
* Boots worn on others

Kinky boots are boots with extreme characteristics which are intended to present a dramatic sexy appearance, such as by a prostitute or dominatrix. Extreme characteristics might include very high heels, thigh- or crotch-high length, or unusual colors or materials. They can be related to boot fetishism, a kind of shoe fetishism which thus make them a form of fetish clothing. The term is ambiguous, since what can be considered kinky by some can be seen as elegant fashion by others.

Boots of this type, and specifically the thigh-high leather boots worn by Honor Blackman in her role as Cathy Gale in The Avengers, are referred to in the 1964 song "Kinky Boots" by Blackman and her Avengers co-star Patrick Macnee. Usually, nowadays the term is connected to the type of thigh-length boots used by Julia Roberts in the 1990 movie Pretty Woman and by Madonna in her Re-Invention Tour in 2004.

tigh-high boots


Until the 2000s, fetish thigh boots were generally distinguished from fashion boots by being more extreme in many design dimensions, particularly heel height and platform height. In the late 2000s, this trend began to change as couture designers, particularly Christian Louboutin, began to experiment with more extreme designs with their shoes. Consequently, the difference in the two now is more a function of the materials used. In particular, fetish thigh boots tend to be constructed of polyurethane (PU) or vinyl (frequently referred to incorrectly as patent leather). Also, they are generally produced in China and sold at low cost. An example line of inexpensive fetish thigh boots is sold under the brand name Pleaser.

A select group of European cobblers have specialized in higher-priced thigh boots for the fetish market. Legendary among these was the London-based Little Shoe Box, which crafted both ready-to-wear and custom thigh boots in leather and real patent leather. The Little Shoe Box, however, ceased operations in 2005, after 40 years of operation. Two other cobblers, Leatherworks (London), Ltd. and Jean Gaborit of Paris have continued the tradition of producing higher quality fetish thigh boots. Jean Gaborit also specializes in custom boots

The ballet boot is a contemporary style of fetish footwear that merges (the look of) the pointe shoe with the ultimate high heel. The idea (along with the illusion) is to force the wearer's feet almost en pointe, like those of a ballerina, with the aid of long, slender heels. When upright, the feet are held nearly vertical by the heel, thus putting nearly all of the body's weight on the tips of the toes.


Stocking fetishism is a sexual fetish relating to women's stockings. Stocking fetishists may particularly find sexual partners clothed in sheer nylon or silk stockings to be sexually stimulating, or find the act of a person donning or removing a pair of stockings arousing. This can also be related to pantyhose fetishism or transvestic fetishism. Some men find it arousing to collect and wear stockings, panties and suspender belts sometimes hidden under a pair of trousers.

Additionally such fetishists may also be divided into many sub-categories relative to their attraction to certain types of stockings.[1] Some find fishnet stockings more arousing compared to other forms of stockings, for example. Other preferences include fully-fashioned (seamed) stockings, seamless stockings, designer stockings, luxury stockings, reinforced heel and toe stockings (RHT), stay-ups, etc.

In the field of textiles, fishnet is a material with an open, diamond shaped knit. Fishnet is most often used as a material for stockings, tights or body-stockings. Fishnet is available in a multitude of colors, though most often sported in traditional matte black. Fishnet is commonly worn on the legs and arms by practitioners of goth and punk fashion, but is also commonly worn in mainstream as a fashion statement. It is generally considered to be a sexy garment, and may be a component of sexual fetishism. Fishnets are used mostly as a sort of undergarment, it defines curves by sticking close to the body, generally making the wearer look more muscularly defined.