A bizarre trend that began at a US cosplay convention has made its way to China, and it’s turning stomachs. The“feet juice”fad involves female cosplayers soaking their feet in fruit drinks like cola and lemonade, then selling the liquid to male fans. At the Firefly Comic Con in Guangzhou, China, in July 2026, each cup sold for 50 yuan, or about $7.50. Videos circulating online show men drinking directly from the foot-soaked containers and even licking the liquid off the cosplayers’feet.
The trend first appeared at Fanime Con in San Jose, California, back in May 2026. It quickly gained traction on social media, but it didn’t take long for authorities in China to push back. After public backlash, organizers of the Guangzhou convention expelled the cosplayers involved and issued a statement calling the booths“vulgar.”They promised that“such vulgar booths would be explicitly prohibited from reappearing in the future.”The controversy has ignited a debate about cultural values, hygiene, and the limits of viral trends.
This story highlights how quickly a strange idea can spread across the globe, and how different cultures react to it. In the US, the trend might be seen as a weird expression of freedom, but in China, it was an immediate violation of community standards. So what do you think? Is this just a harmless, if gross, fad, or did the Chinese organizers make the right call by banning it? Let us know in the comments.
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
