
Boot fetishism is a
sexual fetish focused on
boot
A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearl ...
s. Boots have become the object of
sexual attraction
Sexual attraction is attraction on the basis of sexual desire or the quality of arousing such interest. Sexual attractiveness or sex appeal is an individual's ability to attract other people sexually, and is a factor in sexual selection or m ...
amounting to fetishism for some people and they have become a standard accessory in
BDSM
BDSM is a variety of often Eroticism, erotic practices or Sexual roleplay, roleplaying involving Bondage (BDSM), bondage, Discipline (BDSM), discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given ...
scenes (where leather, latex and PVC boots are favoured) and a fashion accessory in music videos. Boots are seen as perhaps the most fetishistic of all footwear and boots are the most popular fetish clothing attire.
History
One of the earliest descriptions of boots as a fetishistic object can be found in
Émile Zola
Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, ; ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of Naturalism (literature), naturalism, and an important contributor to ...
's 1868 novel . Actual boot fetishism is described in the diaries of 19th-century British woman
Hannah Cullwick, of which parts have been published.
Hermine Hug-Hellmuth
Hermine Hug-Hellmuth (born Hermine Hug Edle von Hugenstein; 31 August 1871, Vienna – 9 September 1924, Vienna) was an Austrian psychoanalyst. She is regarded as the first psychoanalyst practicing with children and the first to conceptualize the ...
described boot fetishism scientifically in 1915. This article has also been published in English with comments by Arlene K. Richards in 1990, as ''Female fetishes and female perversions: Hermine Hug-Hellmuth's "A case of female foot or more properly boot fetishism" reconsidered''.
Boots were used by
Stanley Rachman
Stanley "Jack" Rachman (January 19, 1934 – September 2, 2021) was a South African-born Canadian psychologist who worked primarily with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and other anxiety disorders. He facilitated some of the earliest studies ...
as a subject for research on
conditioning Conditioning may refer to:
Science, computing, and technology
* Air conditioning, the removal of heat from indoor air for thermal comfort
** Automobile air conditioning, air conditioning in a vehicle
** Ice storage air conditioning, air conditio ...
as a cause for fetishism in the 1960s, making men sexually aroused by seeing pictures of boots, but the results have been put into question later, as boots already were very much en vogue for sexually attractive women at the time.
Unlike shoes, boot styles have often appeared as
street wear before they inspire
fashion design
Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by diverse cultures and different trends and has varied over time and place. "A fashion design ...
ers. Boots are usually seen as a sign of empowerment for the wearer, especially when worn by women. This may be a reason for the connection to
BDSM
BDSM is a variety of often Eroticism, erotic practices or Sexual roleplay, roleplaying involving Bondage (BDSM), bondage, Discipline (BDSM), discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given ...
, where boots usually are seen as a statement of
dominance. So-called
boot worship became a common
subcultural
A subculture is a group of people within a cultural society that differentiates itself from the values of the conservative, standard or dominant culture to which it belongs, often maintaining some of its founding principles. Subcultures develop ...
practice among
sadomasochists and related fetishists in the early 20th century.
High-heeled boots help to elongate the calf, creating a longer-legged appearance which is generally considered to be more sexually attractive. The length of the boot shafts also adds to this impression. Boots have been displayed in magazines such as ''
Leg Show'', and there are also magazines and websites aimed directly at this fetish.
Boot fetishism may be accompanied by a fetish for the material from which it is made, such as
leather
Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...
,
rubber
Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds.
Types of polyisoprene ...
, or
latex
Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latices are found in nature, but synthetic latices are common as well.
In nature, latex is found as a wikt:milky, milky fluid, which is present in 10% of all floweri ...
- the latter two giving rise to the fetishization of
Wellington boots. Boot fetishism is often targeted at
fashion boots and
riding boot
A riding boot is a boot made to be used for horse riding. The classic boot comes high enough up the leg to prevent the leathers of the saddle from pinching the leg of the rider, has a sturdy toe to protect the rider's foot when on the ground and ...
s but there are also boots expressly made for fetish purposes, such as
ballet boots and some forms of
thigh-high boots.
Thigh-high boots are perhaps the type of boots that are most popularly associated with boot fetishism.
There is also a very prominent subsection of mostly gay men who fetishize men's boots, with "
boot worship" being a common practice in this group, to the point where there is a yearly contest to see who is the best
bootblack. The types of boots favored by men differ from those worn by women, with men typically preferring more sturdy, rugged boots, such as
combat boots,
rigger boots,
jump boots,
motorcycle boots, or
riding boots.
These boots feature prominently in outfits worn by leather enthusiasts in competitions such as
International Mr. Leather.
Causes
Hsu and
J. Michael Bailey (2019) argue that there is little evidence for "sexual conditioning" explanations of boot fetishism, since only a small minority of men who have seen attractive women in boots develop boot fetishes. They also say that "boot fetishes would not occur in a world without boots, and in a world where men and women switched boots, different patterns of fetishes would likely develop". They argue that random developmental processes which are still poorly understood make some men more prone to developing paraphilias and fetishes.
Popular culture
The television series ''
The Avengers'', which ran in the 1960s, often featured fetishistic clothing, with Emma Peel, played by
Diana Rigg
Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 1938 – 10 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series ''The Avengers (TV series), The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Tracy Bond, Teresa di ...
, wearing
thigh-high boots as a characteristic sign of her as a sexy and strong woman.
Patrick Macnee
Daniel Patrick Macnee (6 February 1922 – 25 June 2015) was a British-American actor best known for his breakthrough role as secret agent John Steed in the television series ''The Avengers (TV series), The Avengers'' (1961–1969). Starting out ...
and Rigg's predecessor
Honor Blackman (as Cathy Gale) released a
45 RPM single in 1964 entitled "
Kinky Boots".
Female comic book super heroines and villains, like
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
and
Catwoman
Catwoman is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, she debuted as "the Cat" in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #1 (spring 1940). She has become one of the superhero Batman' ...
, also often wear boots as a sign of combined female power and sex appeal.
Jill, protagonist of the video game ''
Mighty Jill Off'', is a sexual submissive with a fetish for boots.
See also
*
List of boots
In this list of boots, a boot type can fit into more than one of the categories, and may therefore be mentioned more than once.
Forms
Styles
Sport boots
Work boots
Equestrian boots
Military boots
High-heeled boots
Brands
Lice ...
*
Foot fetishism
Foot fetishism, also known as foot partialism or podophilia, is a pronounced sexual interest in feet. It is the most common form of sexual fetishism for otherwise non-sexual objects or body parts.
Characteristics
For a foot fetishist, points ...
*
Fuck-me boots
*
Shoe fetishism
*
Bootblacking (BDSM)
* People:
**
Charles Guyette
**
Eric Stanton
Eric Stanton (born Ernest Stanzoni Jr.; September 30, 1926 – March 17, 1999) was an American underground cartoonist and Sexual fetishism, fetish art pioneer.
While Stanton began his career as a bondage fantasy artist for Irving Klaw, the major ...
**
Gene Bilbrew
**
Irving Klaw
Irving Klaw (November 9, 1910 – September 3, 1966), self-named the "Pin-up King",Pérez Seves, ''Eric Stanton & the History of the Bizarre Underground'', p. 28. was an influential American merchant of sexploitation, fetish, and Hollywood glamo ...
**
John Willie
**
Lionel Bussey
References
{{Sex fetish
Fetishism
A fetish is an object believed to have supernatural powers, or in particular, a human-made object that has power over others. Essentially, fetishism is the attribution of inherent non-material value, or powers, to an object. Talismans and amulet ...
Sexual fetishism
Fetishism
A fetish is an object believed to have supernatural powers, or in particular, a human-made object that has power over others. Essentially, fetishism is the attribution of inherent non-material value, or powers, to an object. Talismans and amulet ...