Since the dawn of the adult internet, one of the more tried and true paths to carving out market share has been niche content specialization. At each phase of the online adult industry’s evolution, niche sites have quickly emerged within each trend in content production and distribution. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t long after the first ‘general interest’ adult usenet groups first appeared online before the earliest round of adult niche sites (like the BDSM-focused Wasteland.com, launched in 1994, for example) made their appearance.

It stands to reason then, as platforms designed to facilitate the distribution of self-produced content have grown in popularity, that we should see the emergence of niche-specific versions of the concept.

While the site’s founder says the question of whether FeetFinder.com is an “adult” site is not as simple as it might seem, what’s undeniable is that foot fetish content has long been a staple in the adult industry’s content offerings, making it likely that a platform built to serve the foot fan community will prove fertile ground for generating sales – at least for producers who understand the niche and the community that surrounds it.

In the new YNOT Q&A below, FeetFinder CEO and Founder Patrick talks about the nature of the site, what sets it apart from other content distribution platforms and why even though it serves up foot fetish content, FeetFinder may not be an “adult” site as most people define the term.

YNOT: In your view, what do other current content sale/distribution platforms lack that FeetFinder offers, beyond the specific focus on feet?

Patrick: What sets FeetFinder apart from other websites is its amateur appeal and community aspect. What I mean by the amateur appeal is because we are just a foot website, we appeal to amateur models who may not be comfortable being on cam sites or other adult clips stores, whereas they are happy and comfortable creating a FeetFinder since it is just feet content. The models who use our website you won’t find on Onlyfans or other adult websites. However, we still have many professional models who have years of experience in the adult industry who use other adult clip sites.

FeetFinder was also built by the community for the community. We post almost all of our new features and designs on Twitter to allow the community to share their thoughts and feedback. With over 40,000+ followers throughout social media, we always ask our following what new features they want to be added/removed and get their feedback on designs to ensure every new release is something the community wants, not something we hope they will like.

YNOT: What inspired you to start the site? Was it largely about seeing a gap in the market and a lack of a foot-specific platform?

Patrick: When I tell people I created FeetFinder, most people’s first assumption is I have a foot fetish or created it for myself as a way to see and buy great feet content. However, contrary to popular belief, I don’t have a foot fetish. I got the idea back in college when a few of my friends who were girls would always mention how they got DMs from guys interested in paying hundreds of dollars to buy their feet pictures. One of my friends actually paid her rent with money she made form feet pictures. I thought to myself, there should be an app for this. After some quick market research, I realized at the time there was no marketplace for verified people to buy and sell custom feet content. People had to use social media which is flooded with bots and scammers or create their own websites which weren’t realistic for most people. I created the FeetFinder Twitter and within a week had hundreds of followers excited about the idea and thus began the start of FeetFinder.

YNOT: You mentioned that you don’t consider FeetFinder an adult site, but you acknowledge that most people do consider your company an adult business; can you expand a bit on the difference in perception there?

Patrick: I would consider FeetFinder to be a grey area when it comes to whether we are an adult business or not. I say this because we do not allow nudity on our site, yet most people who buy content use it for sexual/fetish purposes. We appeal to people who want to sell feet pictures or videos for money but not deal with the stigma they may get for being on OnlyFans or other adult clips sites.

YNOT: Do you think a lot of people within the adult industry misapprehend foot fetish as a genre/category?

Patrick: I definitely think people misunderstand the foot fetish community as a whole. When I first started FeetFinder, I didn’t know much about feet or what made people attracted to them. I made sure to talk with countless people who sold feet content along with people who had a foot fetish to figure out what they like to ensure we made the perfect platform for them. Everyone I have talked with who had a foot fetish seemed to be a very nice and open person and I think they are misunderstood. People may think a person with a foot fetish is weird when in fact they are some of the nicest most down to earth people I have met. That’s another reason I continue to get advice from people who have a foot fetish on what problems they face so we can ensure when they come to FeetFinder, they know the community supports them and they can be themselves and talk with models or buy some great content that fits their specific desire.

YNOT: Along the same lines as the question above, what’s the most common mistake you see people make in creating foot content? Contrarily, what are some common elements of foot content that sells well and resonates with foot fans?

Patrick: I think the biggest mistake people make when selling feet content is trying to use social media and other sites since they are flooded with bots and scammers. On social media scammers always ask models to send them a preview or a couple of photos first, then they will send the money. When the model sends the photos, the scammer blocks them and users cant report the user since Twitter and Instagram don’t allow that type of content to be sold in the first place and will ban or suspend people’s accounts. I’ve seen lots of models build followings up to 50,000 and then have their accounts be suspended overnight. FeetFinders Instagram got suspended at 4,000 followers for posting only feet photos from our users who gave consent.

Models who take HD photos always make more sales. I recommended getting a pedicure and adding nail polish as those photos and videos seem to perform the best. Users who just take a photo of their blurry feet with no other appeal never tend to make any sales. Quality over quantity is essential. It is better to have two very good, high-definition photos than 40 low-resolution blurry photos. No Buyer wants that.

YNOT: What are the most important things for a content creator to know before setting out to offer their content through FeetFinder?

Patrick: I touched on this above, but Sellers definitely want to make sure they take clear pictures with great angles. There are lots of different styles of feet content people like such as socks, dirty feet, soles, nail polish, etc. Make sure your profile photos are clear and you have a descriptive bio. Sellers who show their faces always do better so the Buyer knows who he is purchasing from, but Sellers can stick with feet only if they prefer.

YNOT: Anything else you’d like to add? Any upcoming plans for the site, new features in the works, or anything along those lines that you can share?

Patrick: I’m glad you asked, we actually have some really cool and interactive features coming in the next couple weeks. We are changing our social feed from only Buyers being able to see Sellers posts and vice versa, to allow all users to view each other’s posts, comment on albums, profile pictures, and even follow each other. This will make FeetFinder much more interactive for Buyers and Sellers. Twitter and Instagram have been known to ban users’ accounts so people don’t have to worry about their accounts being deleted and can feel like they are part of a community getting tips from other users and sharing stories or experiences.

We are also working to change our pay flow so all users can get paid through our website and track earnings in their profile.  As of now, users need to create an account with Boleyn Models to get paid which we have noticed is a hassle. That is why our new flow will make it easy to track sales and request payouts when Sellers want.

These features should be live in the next 3-4 weeks. We will always work to add new features and designs to make FeetFinder better.