These stilts were made for walkin’: Chinese man travelled 50 miles in sky-high shoes

Published 15 April 2026

Split image of Saimaiti Yiming walking in his stilts and at the ceremony

Have you ever taken a stroll around your hometown… while 3 ft (1 m) above the ground?

Well, try walking a mile in Saimaiti Yiming’s (China) shoes!

Saimaiti walking along the side of the road in stilts

Back in 2003, this talented performer took home a curious circus record for the farthest distance walking on stilts in 24 hours after hiking 49.4 mi (79.6 km) in Shanshan County, Xinjiang on top of his sky-high footwear.

Wandering along clean sidewalks and on the side of busy roads, Saimaiti Yiming delighted passersby during his walk between 30 September and 1 October, and was met with a joyful celebration at the finish line.

With stilts measuring 28.7 in (73 cm) from the ground to his ankle and weighing an exhausting 22 lb (10 kg), we don’t doubt that it must’ve felt amazing to take off his shoes at the end of the day!

Saimaiti smiling at the finish line of his attempt

Yet surprisingly, this wasn’t the only lofty record taken by the spectacular stilt-walker.

In November 2006, he returned to the media with the tallest stilts ever recorded at the time, measuring a 53 ft 10 in (16.41 m) from ground to ankle. That’s the equivalent of walking on two telephone poles!

In front of a shocked audience in Shanshan County, Xinjiang, Saimaiti Yiming clambered on top of the five-storey shoes, and managed to walk a distance of 10 steps without touching the safety lines.

Since Saimaiti took the record, a number of stilt-walkers have followed in his giant footsteps – particularly Doug Hunt (Canada).

In 2023, the Canadian created a pair of 55 ft (16.76 m) stilts, and wobbled in them for over 10 feet to claim the competitive tallest stilts title.

He’s also the proud owner of a 2002 record for the heaviest stilts walked with, which he achieved after taking 29 steps in a pair of 50 ft 9 in (15.56 m)-tall stilts that weighed a hulking 137 lbs (62.1 kg)!

Nevertheless, Saimaiti Yiming is not one to give up his passions – and in 2015, he was still making the news for his stilt-related stunts, including a trek across a steel wire suspended 10 metres above ground.

While wearing 20.5 in (52 cm)-high stilts, Yimin completed the high-wire walk in just over 10 minutes, thrilling the crowd that gathered to watch the skillful performer return to the sky.

Now that’s what we call determination.

Congratulations, Saimaiti Yiming – it’s over 20 years later, and you’re still Officially Amazing!