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Selling Feet Pics Became a Real Side Hustle. Here Is How It Works.

What started as a pandemic workaround for women stuck at home has grown into a multi-billion dollar market. The numbers are surprising.

By Devario Johnson Madison Ave Magazine  · Lifestyle 10 min read
Feet Pics | Madison Ave Magazine

When the country shut down in March 2020, millions of women lost income overnight. Salons closed. Childcare evaporated. Part-time jobs vanished. What replaced them, for a surprising number of people, was something far less conventional: a smartphone, good lighting, and a niche corner of the internet willing to pay for photos of their feet.

Selling feet pics is not new. The market existed long before COVID. But the pandemic dramatically accelerated it. Lockdowns pushed people online and created urgent demand for flexible, at-home income. Women, in particular, bore the brunt of the economic disruption. They also found one of the more unexpected exits from it.

DEVARIO JOHNSON

Devario Johnson is the founder and creative lead of Madison Avenue Magazine and Derek Madison Media, where he shapes culture through editorial storytelling, original photography, and platform design. As a fashion editor, media entrepreneur, and senior technology leader, he blends style, innovation, and narrative across every venture. As a former world-class athlete, he brings the same discipline and vision to all his creative pursuits.