The huge striding power of the mythical "seven-league boots" (or 25-mile boots, in new money) were often referred to in European folklore, and make an appearance in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. Pratchett noted that the huge distances between steps cause appalling stress on the groin, but there are a couple of modern devices that do enable us to walk or run at superhuman speeds.
"Powerbocking" is the name given to the practice of leaping about on spring-loaded devices called, variously, Powerstriders, Kangaroo Boots and Velocity Stilts. But it's Russian inventor Viktor Gordeyev's creation, the Quickwalker Boots, which take the gold medal – not least because each boot has a small combustion engine powered by diesel fuel. Attempt to watch this video of them in action [d95.com/rocket] without giggling; it's hard to believe they were originally intended for use by the Russian army. Unless the plan was to gently amuse the enemy to death.
