One researcher proposes that the fetish is due to sensory input in the brain. Research suggests that people can link a typically non-erotic object or body part to arousal through positive feedback and a monetary prize. In the case of foot fetishes, Freud’s theory states that they occur because a person perceives the foot or toes as a penis substitute.Īnother hypothesis argues that they occur due to learning that being attracted to feet leads to a reward. He suggested that when a child saw their mother’s genitals, they were shocked to find that their mother did not have a penis, leading to a fixation on objects or body parts that looked like penises.
One of the first people to study these behaviors was Sigmund Freud, who believed that fetishes arose during early childhood.
Researchers propose several explanations for how and why people develop foot fetishes.