At some point in your life, you’ve probably heard a friend say knowingly, “You know what they say about men with big feet…” And if that friend is particularly outspoken, you might have heard the rest of that saying: “...they have really big penises.” After learning that there really is some scientific truth to growers vs. showers, we had to dive into this saying. Is there really any connection between foot size and penis size?
It turns out that quite a few different scientific studies have been conducted to figure this out. (Scientists, they're just as curious as we are.) And these studies have found different results. As Mental Floss details, a 1993 Canadian study found a statistical relationship between penis size and both height and foot size. However, the correlation was so weak that the scientists noted, “height and foot size would not serve as practical estimators of penis length.” A 2002 British study was more conclusive, with researchers writing, “The supposed association of penile length and shoe size has no scientific basis.”
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
Interestingly, a 1999 Korean study found that the circumference of the penis was slightly correlated not to foot size, but the length of the third and first toes. But again, this correlation was slight and the conclusion notes, “Human body index including the size or characteristics of body extremities is not enough to predict the penile size.” And as More points out, a 2002 Greek study found a “statistically significant” correlation between penile length and not foot size or toe size, but index finger length.
Other studies have found a connection between penis size and height or weight. One 2001 Italian study found that “penile dimensions are highly correlated with height and weight,” and a 2010 Turkish study found “weak positive correlations were found between penile length (both flaccid and stretched) and height, weight and body mass index.”
There have been so many studies on penis size that in 2015, researchers were able to conduct a review of past studies. The conclusion? "All the correlations between penile dimensions and somatometric parameters were either inconsistent or weak. The most consistent and strongest significant correlation was between flaccid stretched or erect length and height." So, there's either no connection or a weak connection between foot size and penis size — but there may be a connection between penis size and height.
OK, that's what the studies say, but as we all know, no study is perfect. So, we turned to one more expert to help us figure things out: SKYN Condoms’ Sex & Intimacy Expert and Sex With Emily host Dr. Emily Morse. “Wouldn’t it be nice if it were that easy? Guys would be asked to submit pictures of their feet as much as women!” she says. “However, there’s no correlation between penis size and a man’s feet. There’s also no correlation between a big penis and being a great lover. The good news is, most of the awesome sex comes from thorough communication and knowing your body, what feels good, and how to use it.”
So don't try to peek at your date's feet under the table — instead, focus on determining if there's chemistry between you.