Patent ID: 8337369

Claim:
In combination, an articulating stilt and a heel binding, said articulating stilt comprising: a stilt foot operative to contact a surface to be traversed; a boot rest operative to support a human foot covering thereon; at least two risers extending between said stilt foot and said boot rest; a toe strap operative to restrain a human forefoot relative to said boot rest and coupled to said boot rest while remaining repositionable relative to said heel binding to match changes in orientation within said stilt foot; an upper leg binding; and an extension coupling said boot rest to said upper leg binding; said heel binding comprising: side walls and a base rigidly affixed to and extending between said side walls, said side walls which operatively define lateral limits to movement of a human foot covering upon said boot rest and said base having at least one open slot formed therein extending longitudinally generally parallel to a longitudinal direction of said boot rest; a removable fastener passing through said at least one slot in said base, said fastener when fastened rigidly engaging said heel binding base to said boot rest and when released permitting spatial adjustment between said heel binding and said boot rest by enabling said at least one slot to be moved relative to said fastener, to thereby permit said heel binding base to be adjusted horizontally towards and away from said toe strap to accommodate varying boot sizes; a rigid heel cup rigidly attached to said heel binding base which operatively defines a rear limit to movement of a human foot covering upon said boot rest and which further operatively captures said human foot covering between said rigid heel cup and said heel binding base, wherein a position of said heel cup is horizontally adjustable by way of at least one longitudinal slot in at least one of said sidewalls extending in said longitudinal direction; and a ratcheting ankle strap which operatively tightens to draw a human foot covering against said boot rest and against said heel cup and retain coupling there between throughout a normal walking motion.