# running, dancing, jumping, crouching with digitegrade leggings



## Pantheros (Oct 22, 2014)

ok so i've had this question in my head for a while now. how do you run, jump, crouch ect. while wearing a suit with digitegrade legs? are you even able to? i know that there is a version which lets you stand and walk normally with the illusion of digitegrade legs and tip-toe walking. It all looks a bit bulky and inpractical however really awesome!

so yeah, what are the limits of digitegrade fursuit legs? Can you indeed run, jump, crouch, sit etc. with ease? or are you forced to be extremely carefull and slow whilst wearing them?


----------



## Shaloxeroligon (Oct 22, 2014)

It all depends on how pronounced/exaggerated the digitigrade is, how well the suit is made, how heavy the padding is, how big the feet are, etc. Obviously, the bigger and heavier your suit legs are, the harder it will be to move, and the hotter your suit will be. They're also more difficult to make, and thus will make your suit more expensive (both to produce yourself and to commission from a maker). 

That all being said, I will say that it is doable to be rather active with digitigrade legs. Just take a look at any of the digitigrade-suited fursuit dancers. They've got big and bulky suits, yet they can bust a move like nobody's business. Of the actions you listed, the only one that would be really difficult would be crouching; the rest (running, jumping, sitting) are fairly feasible (within reason).

Below is a more extreme example, as Tayerr is also a drop-crotch suit. 

[video=youtube;y13R-B0EOdo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y13R-B0EOdo[/video]


----------



## Pantheros (Oct 22, 2014)

Shaloxeroligon said:


> It all depends on how pronounced/exaggerated the digitigrade is, how well the suit is made, how heavy the padding is, how big the feet are, etc. Obviously, the bigger and heavier your suit legs are, the harder it will be to move, and the hotter your suit will be. They're also more difficult to make, and thus will make your suit more expensive (both to produce yourself and to commission from a maker).
> 
> That all being said, I will say that it is doable to be rather active with digitigrade legs. Just take a look at any of the digitigrade-suited fursuit dancers. They've got big and bulky suits, yet they can bust a move like nobody's business. Of the actions you listed, the only one that would be really difficult would be crouching; the rest (running, jumping, sitting) are fairly feasible (within reason).
> 
> Below is a more extreme example, as Tayerr is also a drop-crotch suit.



thanks for the reply! i really had my doubs digitegrade legs would allow for any active movements aside from slow running.
Personaly, i was thinking more realistic digitigrade legs on a realistic suit. like from clockwork creatures for example. however, now that i saw the video i believe it can be done with much thinner leggings with the same ease. XP

but is it really difficult to crouch in digitigrade legs? crouching feels like it would be super easy to do in digitigrade legs... in my head atleast. 

(cool video btw. I don't like all that many goofy suits but this one is quite amazing)


----------



## Shaloxeroligon (Oct 22, 2014)

Crouching is hard if your padding is made of foam. Foam is more rigid, which restricts your movement. The alternative is polyfill, which is lighter, but it doesn't keep its shape as well as foam. Crouching is also hard if you have huge padded legs like Tayerr does. More realistic suits tend to have thinner padding, so it wouldn't be as hard, I don't think. However, any amount of padding will restrict your movement more than no padding at all. 

I am unsure about the kind of padding used in Clockwork Creatures suits. But if I had to guess, they use foam, as it tends to look a tad more realistic. Though, I wouldn't recommend heavy physical activity in a super realistic suit. Generally speaking, the more complex the suit, the more fragile it is (though this isn't a hard-and-fast rule). 

My recommendation is to inform your suit maker that you want digitigrade legs, but you also want to maximize your mobility. If they're clear on your needs, they will better be able to address them.


----------



## Taralack (Oct 23, 2014)

Fursuit dance culture is fuckin' weird.


----------



## Misomie (Oct 24, 2014)

I heard a cool thing about using foam just recently. Carve out the foam a bit around your knee. When you preform tricks and such, the knee will go into the hollow and cut back on getting in the way of your performance.


----------

