Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to idle around.

1928		J. Agate Gemel in London 239: Here you are, footerin’ about in a big place where nobody kens you.
1951		S.H. Bell December Bride 57: If ye want the girl don’t go footerin’ at her as if ye didna.

2. trans., to fiddle about, to mess around.

2009		L. McIlvanney All the Colours 43: I footered with the tuning pegs for a while but it was no good [ibid.] 72: [F]ootering with a box of matches.
2012		D. O’Donnell Locked Ward (2013) 20: Most of the old men had no idea what was going on [...] their trousers being taken down and someone footering around with their bits.