Foot Soles

[Sidebottom]

Hey all,

What do the soles of full-body puppets' feet tend to be made of?

Big Bird, for example -- the bottoms of his feet look like the same type of fabric as the rest of his body, and yet he can walk without slipping on surfaces ranging from grass to the Great Wall of China. Is there an industry standard for foot sole material?

Cheers,
-Grant

 

[Jinx]

I would not say that there is any kind of "industry standard". Like any non-mass-produced puppet, it is going to be based on what is best for that particular puppet and its intended performance circumstances.

I performed in a full-suit puppet some years ago and the feet were just built over a pair of sneakers. The sole of the puppet's foot surrounding the shoe sole was just the same fabric as covered the rest of the puppet's "skin". Traction was never an issue, and the puppet was actually rather comfortable... apart from weighing about 50 pounds!

If you look at the scene in The Muppet Movie where Sweetums is chasing the gang as they leave Mad-Man Mooney's car lot, you can see the soles of his feet and they appear to be made in a very similar fashion.

Take a look at this video on youtube of Sweetums in an earlier appearance in The Frog Prince. At the end of the song when he falls through the wall (about 1:58) you can clearly see the soles of the shoes used as the base.

I have seen rubberized flooring material that is used on stairs as a traction surface and often thought it would be a good puppet foot's sole.

 

[Teenager's]

Big Bird's feet are built around slippers, with carved foam around it and on the bottom is thick suede.

 

[Gerbert]

well when i worked at universiol studios i got hired for the barney suit. the sole is just made out of rubber and a the same fabric used on the suit. fleece over felt. look at this photo this is a photo they edited into the logo. its the same suit i worked in. http://www.doobybrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/big-barney.jpg