Wouldn't it be great to have a symbol for male foot lovers?

[MaleFeetParty]

it'be really cool to identify foot lovers from all over the world. Any idea on how the symbol should look like?

[TheWolf9]

A footprint?

[somecanuck]

Perhaps there should be a Male to Male foot fetish flag? M2MFF pride!

[TheWolf9]

Perhaps there should be a Male to Male foot fetish flag? M2MFF pride!

Footprint on a flag?

[somecanuck]

Yeah, something like that.

[BootsMcGraw]

Check this out:

http://www.zazzle.com/foot_pride_rainbow_footprints_bumper_sticker-128578978562773500

It's a start. In fact, why not develop and market your own rainbow foot bumper sticker? I can't seem to find any others using Google.

[somecanuck]

That's great! Thanks.

[BetterShooting]

Boots, that's my design. I was just coming on here to ask you guys about the stuff I've been designing, and I see you have kind of beat me to it. Anyway, it gives me a place to start.

That one is my idea of a gay foot lovers symbol. You can see it on several items with some variations, according to the item, here:
http://www.zazzle.com/footpride*/fp1

It looks good to me. I'm happy with it, but I'm wondering if it might be better to have left off the text. Maybe some people would be more comfortable with something that was more subtle, recognizable to M4M foot lovers but more of a secret code to others.

Anyway, I'm counting on you FootBuddies to tell me what you think is good and not good. I have several more designs in the works, but you can see a few designs I've made here:
http://www.footpride.com (http://www.footpride.com/)

I'm anxious to get people's reactions, and as I said, I am hoping to hear from some FootBuddies here what you think. Are these items too serious, too silly, too bright, too explicit, etc. Can you see yourself wearing a shirt or button or whatever like this? or if not you, what about someone else?

I do have a number of other designs in the works, some funny, some a bit more raunchy, but I'm wondering if I'm going down the wrong path or the right path. I haven't seen any other M4M foot fetish items on the market, with one exception they are all M4F items (or they are at least aimed at female feet).

The only exception is the former logo of FootFriends, now reverted to its original designer, which is available here:
http://www.zazzle.com/FootLove?rf=238288285817493752

This one is more subtle. He says in the description "Show your love for: • Feet • Foot care, health, massage, reflexology • Heart-Healthy Exercise: walking, hiking, running • Dance • Barefooting • Footwear of quality, health, comfort • Walking in God's footsteps and Love • Footfetish & Playing Footsie" so it's more ambiguous than the design I made, and perhaps therefore not suitable for clearly symbolizing M4M foot fetish.

I'm wondering if people are really willing to admit to having a foot fetish in public. It seems even more socially looked down on than being gay. (Somecanuck, you gave me an idea about making something more flag-like. I might do that too.)

[tiedfeetguy]

Boots, that's my design. I was just coming on here to ask you guys about the stuff I've been designing, and I see you have kind of beat me to it. Anyway, it gives me a place to start.

That one is my idea of a gay foot lovers symbol. You can see it on several items with some variations, according to the item, here:
http://www.zazzle.com/footpride*/fp1

It looks good to me. I'm happy with it, but I'm wondering if it might be better to have left off the text. Maybe some people would be more comfortable with something that was more subtle, recognizable to M4M foot lovers but more of a secret code to others.

Anyway, I'm counting on you FootBuddies to tell me what you think is good and not good. I have several more designs in the works, but you can see a few designs I've made here:
http://www.footpride.com (http://www.footpride.com/)

I'm anxious to get people's reactions, and as I said, I am hoping to hear from some FootBuddies here what you think. Are these items too serious, too silly, too bright, too explicit, etc. Can you see yourself wearing a shirt or button or whatever like this? or if not you, what about someone else?

I do have a number of other designs in the works, some funny, some a bit more raunchy, but I'm wondering if I'm going down the wrong path or the right path. I haven't seen any other M4M foot fetish items on the market, with one exception they are all M4F items (or they are at least aimed at female feet).


I actually just posted about your items in my blog. I think it's a great idea! But I was also going to mention that it would be good to have the option of items without the text, and just the graphic. That's a more "daily life" wearable option that doesn't require as much explanation to your non-fetish friends and family.

I also posted that I love this shirt (outlined in the center) from the now seemingly defunct Hang Ten surfwear company. I even asked them if I could purchase it, but they said they don't make it anymore. I love this design, and if they're not using it anymore, maybe you could?

[BetterShooting]

It's still their logo http://www.hangten.com/Hangten.html so I doubt I'd get away with duplicating it without a risk of getting sued. Kohl's is still actively promoting the brand: http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/ourbrands/hangten.jsp though I think they would find that shirt you like to be out of style in the current market.

I notice that they've dropped the symbol from the logo on the Kohl's site and on the products themselves, but I still think they wouldn't like someone duplicating it. On the other hand, maybe I could do something similar, but not similar enough to infringe.

Almost as soon as I posted those shirts I wished I'd put in a non-text option, but I'll do an alternate tonight and they should be "live" sometime tomorrow.

[Franz]

BetterShooting, after viewing your creative efforts, I personally like the well-done foot illustration on the "Footnotes" items. What occurs to me, however, is that if would be cool if you changed that illustration so that one of the two realistic foot drawings showed the bottom view of a male foot, e.g., the top and the bottom views side-by-side, with no text. The "uninitiated" would most probably assume it's just a far-out male feet illustration, but the 'tribal members' would interpret it very differently. I'd like that.

[somecanuck]

Boots, that's my design. I was just coming on here to ask you guys about the stuff I've been designing, and I see you have kind of beat me to it. Anyway, it gives me a place to start.
...
I'm wondering if people are really willing to admit to having a foot fetish in public. It seems even more socially looked down on than being gay. (Somecanuck, you gave me an idea about making something more flag-like. I might do that too.)

I think it's fantastic. I'm quite open about my fetish and I don't really care who knows about it or what they think about it. Would definitely fly a flag.

[tiedfeetguy]

It's still their logo http://www.hangten.com/Hangten.html so I doubt I'd get away with duplicating it without a risk of getting sued. Kohl's is still actively promoting the brand: http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/ourbrands/hangten.jsp though I think they would find that shirt you like to be out of style in the current market.

I notice that they've dropped the symbol from the logo on the Kohl's site and on the products themselves, but I still think they wouldn't like someone duplicating it. On the other hand, maybe I could do something similar, but not similar enough to infringe.


Yeah, I guess if it's still active, a direct copy would not be a good thing. But like you, I also noticed that they themselves aren't really using the "feet" logo anymore, so I'm guessing something similar would be fine. Hope it works out, I'll look forward to the design!

[BetterShooting]

Franz: That's a good idea. I'll work on that. It took me a whole day to do the original illustration in a way that suited me. Hopefully I can do a sole faster.

somecanuck: I'm not sure if I can make an actual flag, but I'm looking into that. I'll have to check on some flag makers to see if it's too expensive to produce them one at a time. If not I can at least make some designs that look like flags (pictures of flags).

tiedfeetguy: The non-text version of my original design should be online sometime Thursday. I'll have to work on your other request when I get a chance. I'm going away this weekend so I won't have much time for a few days.

Any other suggestions or opinions, I'm open to hearing them.

[djdevilct]

BetterShooting, you definitely nailed the concept of "foot pride" with your bright rainbow logo... No words needed to convey the intention. A+. At the right event (a Pride parade) it definitely has a place.

Since you asked for feedback, I have to tell you that I personally wouldn't wear it or display it myself. I'm pretty open about my foot interests... most of my friends know, some whether they need to or not! haha which doesn't freak me out. So in general i'm not afraid to talk about the topic. I just don't personally feel the need to advertise my foot fetish to the general public quite so brightly and largely. To be fair, it's not my personality to advertise many things that brightly and largely.

But I can think of a variation that, if it were offered as part of the line, I might buy as a t-shirt to wear at events or just barhopping...

If you spin a pair of the footprints on its side it looks like a yin-yang symbol. If that symbol were about 3"x3" on my chest off to the side.. in solid white (or other solid color) on a black t-shirt.. I would own one. I could also see solid black on a colored shirt. Maybe the logo could instead be on the back a little bit larger (5"x5") up near the collar? I wear an XL so I'm scaling these sizes off of that.

I know it sounds boring compared to the original design and intention, but it's what I would realistically own and wear. I could prob talk myself into a "splashier" color combination with orange or red if I wanted it to be noticed more for the right occasion, but I don't own a rainbow on anything.. and I probably won't in the future.

Good luck with your project! - DJ

[BetterShooting]

As promised, here are some items with no text:
http://www.zazzle.com/footpride*/fp2

[BootsMcGraw]

As promised, here are some items with no text:
http://www.zazzle.com/footpride*/fp2
I couldn't have done that better, myself. I think that is exactly the kind of advertising that could be helpful: direct and to the point, for those "in the know", and just a brightly colored "retro" design, for the uninitiated.

[BetterShooting]

I just don't personally feel the need to advertise my foot fetish to the general public quite so brightly and largely. To be fair, it's not my personality to advertise many things that brightly and largely...

Well, everyone has their own personality. Some people are very "out there" and walk around with 4-letter words on their shirts. Some people like rainbow colours, some don't. Personally, I would wear those shirts but maybe only to a Pride Parade or a foot party or maybe to a gay nightclub/bar.

I'm actually intending to do the same design in black or white or a single colour, but I haven't had time yet. Your idea also sounds like a good idea. I already started playing around with a two-foot thing similar to what you describe last week, but I like you idea even more, so I'll do that too. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and ideas and I welcome more from other people too.

As for the size and position of whatever design, Zazzle is very flexible that way. Under the product picture, there is a "customize" button. You can easily move designs from the front to the back of the shirt, make them smaller, re-position them or even duplicate or delete them. There are also many different styles and colours of shirt, so each shirt can really be different. I really like the way this works. Anyway, I'm going away this weekend and may not get to try out your ideas for a few days, but I will certainly give it a go. Thanks again.