The Sex Life of the Foot and Shoe

Book excerpt: First published in 1977, The Sex Life of the Foot and Shoe examines the realities of foot and shoe eroticism practised by almost all of us, whether consciously or unconsciously. Provocative often witty and always original, the book takes us on a walking tour through history: from Chinese footbinding (completely sexual in intent) and the medieval poulaine (perhaps the most blatantly pornographic shoe ever worn) to the outrageous distortions of the foot gladly suffered by woman over the centuries in the cause of sexual allure. The author explores the obsession with ‘sick’ and ‘tired’ feet and the huge industry that has sprung up to cater to our negativism. He gives a psychosexual guide to us via footwear, grouping men’s and women’s shoes into such categories as sexy, sexless, neuter, bisexual, sensuous, peacock, masculine, eunuch and machismo. This book will be of interest to students of history, gender studies, sexuality studies and fashion.