Dear Doc,
When we hear about people being attracted to another’s feet, for example, the foot fetish, it always seems to be men who are into them. Do women, in general, find men’s feet sexually attractive?
—Bill

Dear Bill,
In general, there’s the stereotype that men’s feet aren’t attractive, especially if he’s past a certain age, and that men’s feet smell in large part because of a lack of attention. While your average female is not expecting him to become a metrosexual with the regular pedicure, or to have attractive feet per se, her biggest expectation/hope is that he will keep them clean. She wants him to wash them with warm soap and water, to trim his toenails and clean under them, and to make efforts to reduce dirt and the chance of fungal infections.

That said, women do notice men’s feet, but are usually more caught up in gauging his facial expressions and other body language when it comes to reading his potential attraction/feelings for her. Unkempt feet aren’t a dealbreaker for most, as she’ll excuse that he’s “just being a guy,” and add it to her mental checklist of things to touch up about him as they get more serious.

Dr. Yvonne Kristín Fulbright is a sex educator, relationship expert, columnist and founder of Sexuality Source Inc. She is the author of several books including, “Touch Me There! A Hands-On Guide to Your Orgasmic Hot Spots.”