4 ms·

This is the comment referencing flubber that you're looking for. Flubber!

• jadbox 5y ago
  Exactly why I came to the comments. Tbh, the "idea" of flubber is pretty futuristic. Imagine shoes that can bounce/return your running impact which could improve your speed by some real significant factor.
  • telchar 5y ago
    I mean, springs would do that. Maybe a latch with slightly delayed release mechanism would work better to time the energy release for optimal running. But unless you want to violate conservation of energy (like flubber presumably does) then springs would get you there.
  • ncmncm 5y ago
    There are, in fact, such shoes, and they do provide what has been called an unfair advantage in track sports.
  • sudosysgen 5y ago
    That is actually already a thing, and yes they do provide a significant advantage.
  • Cthulhu_ 5y ago
    Other people point out shoes, but there's also these contraptions that are basically springs / elastics inspired by kangaroos; I had to google a few times, but their common name seems to be "jumping stilts" [1]. There's also more compact variants, jumping boots, that look like leaf springs underneath skeeler / ice skating boots [2] [1] (no affiliation) https://www.amazon.com/Air-Trekkers-Exercise-Entertainment-Protection-Included/dp/B07P82X365 https://www.amazon.com/Air-Trekkers-Exercise-Entertainment-P... [2] https://www.amazon.com/Jumping-Shoes/s?k=Jumping+Shoes https://www.amazon.com/Jumping-Shoes/s?k=Jumping+Shoes