What Do You Need to Know About Footjobs?

When it comes to sexual curiosities, being into feet is pretty common, with those who enjoy exploring feet describing it as a multisensory experience: You can sniff, stroke, suck on or bite them. And, if you're looking to do all of that and more, you might be into footjobs, too.

Footjobs are more or less like handjobs, except you're using feet to play with someone's genitals—"traditionally penises," added Marla Renee Stewart, M.A., a sexpert for the sexual wellness brand Lovers. Using the soles, toes, heels, arches and more, you can grip or surround a partner's penis and rub it up and down, massaging around the shaft and head until your partner orgasms.

"Footjob" was the leading foot-related search in 2019, according to PornHub, and ranked as the 140th most popular search on the site overall, with visitors from New Jersey and Rhode Island more likely to search for foot-related porn than those from other states across the United States. Other top foot-related queries included foot worship, foot fetish and feet JOI (jerk-off instruction).

So, what's a footjob actually like?

Tony, 31, an HR professional from New Jersey, got his first footjob from a then-girlfriend after giving her a massage, which included kissing and caressing her feet.

"I'm not 100 percent sure what I found so alluring about her feet, but they were a serious turn on," he said.

According to Tony, she then unzipped his pants and "began to massage my dick with her two feet." The experience was exciting and incredibly pleasurable for him, he added, but he didn't come from it.

"As much I was loving the footjob, we just ended up having sex," he admitted.

Jane*, 33, a lawyer from New Zealand, had a similar experience both times she gave footjobs, in that neither resulted in an orgasm. Although she isn't into feet personally and regards herself as "right in the middle of the road" when it comes to them, she was open to giving foot play a try.

If you're someone with a foot fetish—or have a partner who enjoys receiving footjobs—it could be worth trying as a way to take your connection to the next level.

Her first time, which was with a partner who was into feet, was difficult, she said.

"I can remember kind of, like, gripping him with my feet, and him being really excited about it, like moaning and being very into it," she said. "But I can also remember that I didn't give him a footjob to completion because there just wasn't that dexterity there."

According to Jane, it was also tricky to give one due to positioning.

"You have to be in a slightly awkward, compromising position when you're giving a footjob," she said. "I was like, on my back, as he was like kneeling in front of me."

Jane's next attempt was while she and her current partner were still "in that exploratory kind of phase" early in their relationship and it just happened in the moment.

"He was sucking my toes and I just sort of tried putting my feet on his dick," she said.

But the experience was brief, and they ended up moving on to other things.

"It felt light, silly, playful, a little bit ridiculous," she added, but she was "encouraged" by how much her first partner enjoyed it. And while she and her current partner haven't enjoyed any foot-related experiments since, she hasn't ruled it out, either—and she'd recommend it to anyone who's interested in feet or has a partner who is into them.

You don't need a penis in order to give or receive a footjob

Although footjobs are most often thought of as being focused on the penis—and for Tony, Jane and many others, they are—they don't necessarily have to be.

"Vulva and vagina owners can also enjoy receiving a footjob," Stewart said.

Layla*, a 33-year-old social worker from Massachusetts, was about 22 the first time she received a footjob.

"I had just entered the kink scene," she described. "And I went to my first event, which was the [Fetish Fair] Flea in Rhode Island. And I saw a booth that said, 'Hey, if you've been wearing high heels all day, would you like a foot rub?'"

At the time, she recalled thinking it was "so generous of that gentleman" to offer his services. It wasn't until a friend later explained to her that this person would enjoy the experience as much as she did that she began to realize she was stepping—both literally and figuratively—into a whole new realm.

According to Stewart, using your foot or toes to massage a partner along the clitoris can be one way to arouse them, as could potentially inserting toes—specifically, the big toe—into the vagina. Before you get started, you might want to wash your feet first, to avoid introducing dirt or potentially harmful bacteria into your partner's private areas.

If you lube up after washing, which is what Stewart recommends for all types of footjobs, consider going with a silicone-based option, as this type of lube has a higher viscosity (meaning it stays slippery longer) than water-based versions and won't require as much reapplication.

But you don't necessarily have to touch a partner's genitals in order to give a footjob, either. A foot massage can be equally satisfying if you feel a sexual connection.

"It's traditionally not a sexual act, but it can be a sexual act if you have erotic intent," Stewart added.

About a year after her initial footjob experience, Layla received another offer from a woman she met at a party. The two got together at the woman's Cambridge, Massachusetts, apartment and, once there, the woman put on a movie and invited Layla to sit down on her couch and relax.

Over the course of the next two hours, Layla did as commanded: She sat on "this beautiful couch" watching the movie—which she doesn't remember at all, she revealed with a laugh—as the woman played with, caressed and nibbled at her feet.

"There [was] no expectation that it would get me off sexually, so it was just really low pressure," she noted.

As it went on, it felt more like pleasure just for the sake of feeling good, which is something Layla relished.

"At one point, I remember she was biting my heel with her teeth, and it was a sensation that I had never experienced before," Layla said. "There was no foot rub that I had ever had that could mimic that sensation, and I've never had it since. [It felt] like the most relaxing, connected type of experience."

Should you try a footjob yourself?

As with anything sexual, there are pros and cons to exploring footjobs, but if you're someone with a foot fetish—or have a partner who enjoys receiving footjobs—it could be worth trying as a way to take your connection to the next level.

Unsure where to start? You can get the conversation going by telling your partner how much feet turn you on in a nonsexual situation. If you have a yes/no/maybe list already put together—which is a checklist of things you're into or not into in the bedroom—you can talk about adding footjobs or other types of foot play (like foot worship) into your repertoire, and gauge your partner's comfort level that way.

Communication is always key, and who knows? You might be helping your partner take a load off and relax in more ways than one.

*Names changed by request.