I am started writing this post several months ago when I thought the following day I was headed to Fit Foot. I was not, nor would I make there for a few months. Fit Foot is a place I would lovingly describe as a sketchy massage place. Confession: I love these places. When I lived in Brooklyn, there was a sketchy place down the street from where I lived, on my block, thirty feet away. I frequented this place quite a bit. I love them because they are super affordable, clean and decidedly not sketchy. They are not your regular spa, there is no Enya, there are no scented candles it is a just a utilitarian place to get a massage. So when I moved to Chicago, I was wondering how I was going to get my sketchy massage on?

Well, leave it to a local to know the low down on everything, from the best chinese food to the best late night dance party on Saturdays to the best sketchy massage place. His name is Eddie and he is wonderful. So when Eddie and my girlfriend hung out a few months ago, what did they do, they went to Fit Foot. And what did my girlfriend return with? Basically a stack of Fit Foot gift certificates for me (Thanks!) because I am a tiny whirling dervish of stress and back pain.

Here’s what happened. It took me three months to actually pony up the energy to go here. I don’t know why I was avoiding relaxation, but I was.  So when my awesome friend Allison, who I often get massages with in NY, came to Chicago for a visit I knew where we just had to go. Fit Foot. So we got the energy to go and went down to Fit Foot. I had an idea of what to expect, but nothing prepares you for the sight of the space. It really is just dozens and dozens of chairs.  When you arrive you enter into a room lined with these amped up pedicure chairs that remind me of fancy first class airplane bed seats, this room leads into a second room with more chairs and then into a third room with a row of about 20ish or so of these chairs. This last room is where we found ourselves putting our belongings into these faux leather ottomans, lowering our feet into water and relaxing on these sort of airplane seats.

The massage starts off with a foot soak (which is great because I’ve been wearing Toms non stop and my feet stink. Truth), the person then starts with a head, face and arm massage while your feet soak. The next part is straight up foot massage for what feels like a half hour. Your then flipped over (I found this surprising as I thought the massage person just said OVER not flip over). The last part of the massage, which again took me by surprise, is focused purely on the back and all of its computer sitting knots. These knots are not so gently massaged out of you for the next half hour. It was pure heaven and the best part for me is that you are entirely clothed and not full of body oil but are equally blissed out and relaxed.

The whole thing takes an hour and the best part is that its only $28 bucks. Really $28 bucks. My friend Allison said that she felt as though we had robbed them for the service after we left. It really is that good and that cheap.