Modesty's Costume Closet

This post is highlighting my (somewhat flawed) research methods and decision process for a particular costume part: Hoof Boots. (Like the ones pictured below.) Creature Feet by ChaosCostumes I am trying to decide whether or not to purchase the boots from an artist or to make them myself.  There are several options to weigh, one of them being whether it's worth investing in a new skill. Methods Buy on Etsy Follow Tutorial My Method Pros and Cons Etsy Pros: No mess in my apartment, high quality from an experienced creator, safety tested Cons: Limited design choices and colors, shoe sizes too big, have to wait for shipping Tutorial Pros: Definitive proof that the method works, final design look is in my control Cons: I have no experience making these things, very difficult to find used/cheap shoes in my size, Big mess, hazardous chemical materials, Not necessarily cheaper My version Pros: Potentially most economical method, design in my control, shoe guaranteed to fit, ankle support,

For the discussion of how to make hooves, my focus is going to be on the front legs. However, that is not to say that we ignore the hind legs! The size of your hooves should be similar. So we may want to handle the front legs before deciding how to make the hind legs.  Hoof Approaches In the centaur design, our human legs act as the front legs for the horse, so our human feet will be where the hoof goes. But we run into a problem. Humans are plantigrade, meaning we walk on a flat foot. Horses are digitigrade, meaning they walk on their toes. Right away we will run into a challenge that will pit us against form and function!  If you do stand on the balls of your feet, then your heel and ankle look like a fetlock on a horse. However, this is not a comfortable or natural position for a human to stand in for a long period of time especially if they're dragging a horse rear-end behind them! It's not impossible, people wear tall heels every day so these muscles can be trained. This i