Telemark skiers have been skiing in walk mode for years. For the uninitiated–especially those of the alpine touring persuasion used to footwear fine-tuned to striding–this may sound downright batty.

The possibilities of spring-loaded footwear were not lost on Wile E. Coyote. In his futile attempts to bag that blur-footed, trash-beeping Road Runner, he didn't mind strapping a pair of Acme coils to ...