Seven League Boots

A means of magical transportation once used by the wizards of Unseen University. The enchanted boots allow the wearer to travel twenty-one miles with each step. However, accidents and severe groin strain (as well as, presumably, some severely dislocated bodyparts) were common and the boots are no longer in use. As most wizards dislike leaving the university this has not proven to be a disadvantage. The boots themselves are partially self-aware and capable of independent movement; as a result they are generally kept in cages when not in use.

Annotation

Seven-league boots are an element in European folklore. The boots allow the wearer to take great strides—seven leagues each step—resulting in great speed. The boots are presented by a magical character to the protagonist to aid in the completion of a significant task. (A league is three miles, so seven leagues is 21 miles or about 34 kilometers.)

Mention of the legendary boots are found in:

Charles Perrault's Hop o' My Thumb from France
Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe's Soria Moria Castle from Norway
Jack the Giant Killer, Howl's Moving Castle, The Midnight Folk and The Bartimaeus Trilogy from England
Sweetheart Roland and Goethe's Faust (Mephistopheles uses them at the start of Part Two, Act Four) from Germany