A method and apparatus for enhancing the ability of a human to run and
jump with comfort comparable to running barefoot on a trampoline and with
control comparable to that of the unaided human form, yet with freedom
from ankle-turning roll moments associated with substantial ground
contact member (GCM) extension downwardly away from the sole of the foot
including, a resiliently urged GCM constrained to two degrees of freedom:
translation away from the sole of the user's foot and rotation about a
longitudinal axis at ground level. The apparatus relates flexure of a GCM
toe pressure member to comparable flexure of user's toes at the
metatarsal joints. The apparatus also incorporates lower leg to ankle
pivot bracing, and extends the GCM in downward direction parallel to the
lower leg while mimicking user ankle articulation with
parallelism-maintaining rotation about a downwardly resiliently urged
transverse pivot axis similar to the user's own ankle joint for extended
travel.