Jets' Coach Rex Ryan's Foot Fetish Isn't Unhealthy, Sex Experts Say
Fetishes can be used to keep the spark in a longterm relationship.
Dec. 23, 2010 — -- As bizarre as some may think it is that Jets' coach Rex Ryan and his wife share an apparent foot fetish, sex therapists tell ABC News that the sexual fixation isn't that uncommon and may, in fact, be healthy.
"Foot partialism, or a foot fetish, is actually the most common form of fetish," said Ian Kerner, a sex therapist and the founder of the website GoodinBed.com. "It's only defined as a problem when the person or couple define it as a problem."
"But this seems to be a healthy part of [the Ryan's] sexual relationship," he said. "They're both consensual, they both seem to enjoy it and it doesn't seem to be causing any distress."
At a news conference Wednesday, Ryan addressed the foot fetish report posted by Deadspin.com, which showed videos of a woman who closely resembles Rex's wife, Michelle.
"To be honest, and I get it, I know you need to ask and all that stuff, but it's a personal matter and I'm really not going to discuss it, OK?" he told reporters.
Kerner said that too often people assume fetishes are "freaky" or "weird."
"We do think of people with fetishes as someone who can't function sexually in a normal way or an average way but the more you read about it the more you find out that everyone or almost everyone has certain predispositions of proclivities and desires to help them get aroused and get them sexually excited," said Kerner.
"In some cases it's a particular fantasy or a position and a technique and in other cases it's a body part or a costume," said Kerner. "I'm sure Ryan just has a genuine attraction to his wife's feet."
One video shows a woman presenting her feet and toes from an SUV window to an off-screen cameraman who touches them. Other videos show the woman sitting on a couch and rubbing her feet. In other, the woman seductively removes the socks from her feet before touching them.
"Fetishes are more normal than we'd often like to think and everyone has their unique turn-ons and turn-offs and in the case of Rex Ryan it happens to be a partialness for feet," said Kerner.
