A place for those who "Trust the Fungus"

You know I never really saw the appeal of the Thwomp boots before joining this forum. They were cool and all and definitely defined the latter part of the movie but never really stuck out for me... The enthusiasm you all have for them has rubbed off on me though!

Really happy that you've been able to obtain these. I think they'd make the perfect addition to any movie fans collection.

Thanks Redstar! I don't know what it was, but when I first saw them in person in 93, there was just "something" about them that I thought was one of the coolest things I had ever seen. I think it's because of how great the pull back shot of Mario & Luigi in the elevator was. To me, that was THE iconic hero shot of the film...well and it was the poster art too...

Now, my next mission is to find out if the functioning hero boots are indeed gathering dust in a crate inside the Disney Archives in Burbank like I think they are...

I mean, yeah--that shot in the elevator is what makes the film.

Mario and Luigi both accept that they need to be heroes. They get their traditional outfits. They do the awesome "glug glug glug" handshake. They have the Thwomp Stompers. And the score is blazing!

For that one moment--they got everything right.

awesome find man!! Its amazing to be able to obtain a prop like this, and especially in such good condition! Do you mean you saw it at Disney's MGM Studios in 1993? I was just there a few weeks ago and had I known it was there I woud've definitely taken pictures for everyone. Thanks for sharing with us

Unfortunately I don't think Disney/MGM Studios (now Disney's Hollywood Studios) has them out anymore. Perhaps they're in storage or were sold or something.

Do you remember where/which ride they were in?

Yeah this was in June of 1993 right after the film came out that May. Inside one of the New York street buildings towards the back of the park, they had the doors open for people to go inside where this two story atrium area was full of props and costumes from various films, mostly films that were fairly new at that time. This is where the Honey I Blew Up the Kid shoe was originally, along with props from Parenthood, What About Bob, Super Mario Bros., etc.

I believe that this building was basically the equivalent of where current props are on display at the end of the Backlot Tour today. In the center of this atrium was a prominent glass display case and inside of that were the hero boots, by themselves. I mean you have to keep in mind that the film had JUST been released and Disney was advertising it pretty hard. No one had really seen the film yet so it was still being hyped up.

Also, along the back wall you would see straight in front of you when you walked in the building, was a larger display case where two of the full Goomba costumes (one regular Goomba head, one lizard Goomba head), as well as one of the Koopa costumes were all on display as well. Given that Disney had possession of the hero boots after production wrapped, it makes me believe that they did not end up in a private collection. Disney does not give up their props very often...

The next time I went back to MGM was in 2002 and there was no prop exhibit back in this same location in the park and the New York building where it was, was sealed up tight. I was also there in June 2009 and same thing...

After having spoken with someone who works security at the park today, he mentioned that a lot of items were sent to the archives in Burbank a few years ago, so I honestly don't think the boots are in Orlando anymore. I will eventually find out though. I'll find a way to get in touch with someone at the Disney Archives and will find something out because I have always wondered about the location of the hero boots.

Now, my next mission is to find out if the functioning hero boots are indeed gathering dust in a crate inside the Disney Archives in Burbank like I think they are...

Congrats on the score!!

Thanks and yeah that's about what I expect the Disney Archives to look like...

It might take a bunch of Russians holding me at gunpoint to search for some alien remains to find the boots though...

I had a chance to take some better pics of the boot this weekend for everyone's viewing pleasure!

I'm sure these will eventually make it into the props section of the site so people won't have to hunt for them in the future.

Those are some awesome pics! The stompers seem to be in pretty decent condition, considering their age and their foam rubber makeup.

How about taking a top-down shot as well?

Are they 100% foam rubber? I always wondered how those things would hold up with the actors wearing them.

It's awesome to see the bottom too...everyone take notice of the Thwomp character from the games in the oval. Here's the pre-production pic from the site for comparison:



I also have a photo of Bertha holding a pair of the stompers where you can see part of the bottoms as well, I may scan and post that later.

Thanks Ryan! I will take a pic from the top down a little later. I tried taking a pic of the inside of the boot but it didn't come out well. Not enought light inside the boot. Nothing you're missing though. The boot is indeed 100% foam rubber! It is one single casting and there is not any other material used to make the entire thing. Really impressive. The rubber is not brittle anywhere and is still quite pliable. Although the paint is cracking, it still adheres to the foam fine and is not shipping off at all.

I find it amazing how the final boot has nearly every single detail that you see in the concept art. I mean they really translated it beautifully! There are even inset screws that were painted silved even though you probably would never see them on camera. And yes, the Thwomp character was clearly on the bottom of the boot, but unfortunately a lot of it has worn away. I can still see one corner of its mouth though.

I would love to see that pic of Bertha holding onto the boot. From the way you describe it, I don't think I've seen that pic before.

You know, these boots really are definitive of the entire movie and what it was trying to do. No other prop, even possibly the meteorite shard, means so much to both the movie and fans. It's a real treat to appreciate them with you guys.

Redstar wrote:You know, these boots really are definitive of the entire movie and what it was trying to do. No other prop, even possibly the meteorite shard, means so much to both the movie and fans. It's a real treat to appreciate them with you guys.

Yeah I would absolutely agree that no other prop, even the meteorite shard which drives the plot of the whole film, is as recognizable or iconic as the boots. Which is actually kind of funny because the boots aren't directly from the games although they are derived from a game reference. Fact of the matter is that the boots just looked so damn cool! Between the hero elevator shot and the poster, you know every kid out there wanted a pair...and this was at the height of the Nickelodeon Moon Boots popularity too...haha

So I finally scanned in the ONLY pic I have of when I saw the Hero Stomper Boots as a kid at MGM Studios in 1993. You'll notice how the ankle braces are hinged open and you can see the electronics wiring that would have been hidden by those braces.

I apologize for the flash in the shot, but luckily you can see the boots well. I don't miss film cameras for this type of photography one bit!

Awesome pic. It'd be great to track these things down today. The mechanics are so intricate for those things--I'm surprised how close of a match the foam rubber ones are to the effects pair.

Any idea on how many pairs of hero effects boots were made?

I only know of 1 hero pair that actually had electronics in them. I will get confirmation on that soon. These were clearly the pair that Big Bertha wore at the beginning of the film. I would LOVE to track this pair down, but these are the ones I have a feeling are locked up in the Disney Archives since they were obviously in Disney's possession after the film was released as seen in my pic above...

There were about 4 different types of boots made for the film, that I can tell:

- 1 pair of red hero boots with real metal parts & electronics (worn by Big Bertha at the beginning of the film)



- 2 pairs of red semi-hero boots with real metal parts & NO electronics (worn by Mario & Luigi in the famous elevator dolly-back shot)



- 2 pairs of red foam rubber boots worn by the actors for running (which is one of the ones I just acquired)

- About 8-10 red, purple/pink, blue, & yellow foam boots for the Thwomp display case seen towards the end of the film.

moviemaker29 wrote:It might take a bunch of Russians holding me at gunpoint to search for some alien remains to find the boots though...

Tell me if you find the Ark of the Covenant

I wish that those boots were produced in real life

incognitus wrote:I wish that those boots were produced in real life

With people like billbot, marioblaster, and Howlrunner I think it'd be simple and fairly inexpensive to produce quality replicas. Just a matter of the interest and funds. I'd chip in for a pair for the right project.

Redstar wrote:With people like billbot, marioblaster, and Howlrunner I think it'd be simple and fairly inexpensive to produce quality replicas. Just a matter of the interest and funds. I'd chip in for a pair for the right project.

Actually, I've never built a replica prop or costume before. I mean I've made makeshift low-budget costumes like a ghostbuster uniform and a basic Cpt. Jack Harkness costume, but never a real movie-quality replica. Don't get me wrong, I am still interested in trying to build a goomba costume, I just know I am going to need a lot of help, haha.

I hope I haven't disappointed anyone here

billbot85 wrote:

Redstar wrote:With people like billbot, marioblaster, and Howlrunner I think it'd be simple and fairly inexpensive to produce quality replicas. Just a matter of the interest and funds. I'd chip in for a pair for the right project.

Actually, I've never built a replica prop or costume before. I mean I've made makeshift low-budget costumes like a ghostbuster uniform and a basic Cpt. Jack Harkness costume, but never a real movie-quality replica. Don't get me wrong, I am still interested in trying to build a goomba costume, I just know I am going to need a lot of help, haha.

I hope I haven't disappointed anyone here

No disappointment at all. I know you and the other two guys don't have exact experience in this area, but I'm confident with enough time something good can be created between the three of you. Perhaps even through a group-effort and over time and trial-and-error something really special can be developed.

I was wonderin' what do you need to make your own air stompers?
It's needed a specific type of shoe or somethin'?

incognitus wrote:I was wonderin' what do you need to make your own air stompers?
It's needed a specific type of shoe or somethin'?

Yep, the original Stomper Boots were sculpted around ski boots as a foundation, which happened to be a pair of Salomon SX41 ski boots. See below:

moviemaker29 wrote:

incognitus wrote:I was wonderin' what do you need to make your own air stompers?
It's needed a specific type of shoe or somethin'?

Yep, the original Stomper Boots were sculpted around ski boots as a foundation, which happened to be a pair of Salomon SX41 ski boots. See below:

With that in mind it should actually be somewhat easier/cheaper to create a replica. Good information!

Yeah I honestly don't think building accurate replicas would be out of the question if you had the sculpting abilities (or hired someone who did). The rest of the components, namely the pneumatic actuators, were found items.

Where on earth did you buy those Stompers from?

marioblaster wrote:

Now, my next mission is to find out if the functioning hero boots are indeed gathering dust in a crate inside the Disney Archives in Burbank like I think they are...

Congrats on the score!!

Nah, I'd say it's more like my room.

In short: a mess.

Mono41 wrote:Where on earth did you buy those Stompers from?

I only own the foam boot seen in the multiple pics at the top of this page... But I WISH I owned the hero boots...

The boot I own came from a private collection.

moviemaker29 wrote:

Mono41 wrote:Where on earth did you buy those Stompers from?

I only own the foam boot seen in the multiple pics at the top of this page... But I WISH I owned the hero boots...

The boot I own came from a private collection.

I knew you only owned one but I guess I wasn't paying close enough attention when I typed it.

Nice find on the foam boot. It brings back memories of repainting them EVERY single day!!!!! Someone also asked if there were more than one pair of Hero boots with working lights. Nope. Just the one pair. The lights BTW, were in no way digital or very high tech. Simple LED's hooked up to a rotary type switch that corresponded to each of the lights. A short bar was attached to the rotor and spun by hand by an off camera technician; much like winding a rubber band powered airplane.

Great to hear from you, Mark!

And LOL at your memories of having to repaint them...a lot...

Any idea why foam rubber was chosen for the stunt boots, over another, less time-intensive process with less upkeep? Was there no other alternative?

8 perf wrote:Nice find on the foam boot. It brings back memories of repainting them EVERY single day!!!!!

Thanks very much Mark! I know all of us here appreciate your insight into the history (and maintenance) behind these boots. As I've said many times before, I have a lot of respect for all of the hard work you guys put into these boots and all of the other props and art direction work!

Redstar wrote:

billbot85 wrote:Actually, I've never built a replica prop or costume before. I mean I've made makeshift low-budget costumes like a ghostbuster uniform and a basic Cpt. Jack Harkness costume, but never a real movie-quality replica. Don't get me wrong, I am still interested in trying to build a goomba costume, I just know I am going to need a lot of help, haha.

I hope I haven't disappointed anyone here

No disappointment at all. I know you and the other two guys don't have exact experience in this area, but I'm confident with enough time something good can be created between the three of you. Perhaps even through a group-effort and over time and trial-and-error something really special can be developed.

Don't worry about it too much. Given time, you will learn that there is one way to make a Goomba costume and three hundred ways not to make a Goomba costume, to paraphrase Thomas Edison.

What if the boots that was used wasn't the SX41 but another one in the SX series. They all are pretty similar and after looking for SX41these came up in my search:

The SX11.

They are almost like the SX41 but they don't have the thing in the back. Could it have been these since there would be less stuff to remove, before they started making the boots?

Anyone know of any props for sale? I would love some for my collection. No replicas, please.

smb collector wrote:Anyone know of any props for sale? I would love some for my collection. No replicas, please.

MEL (MakeUp and Effects Lab) sells unpainted Goomba head busts for $60. That's the only official avenue I know of that still sells materials related to the movie. You can try contacting them here to see if they have any left in stock, otherwise you'll have to try a private seller. I have one.

One of our users, Howlrunner, also has one and put up some pictures. He cleaned up the cast and removed the innards to leave only the "skin," but this is its basic appearance (sans the insignia, of course):

Good grief, this stuff puts my SMB toy collection to shame!

I only have a few props from various movies, sadly nothing from SMB.

i wonder if they have the koopa troopa busts as well.

(Yes they are in the movie, they are the raptor head ones. Or to be specific, the one that hisses at Danellela when he's coloring)

Redstar wrote:

smb collector wrote:Anyone know of any props for sale? I would love some for my collection. No replicas, please.

MEL (MakeUp and Effects Lab) sells unpainted Goomba head busts for $60. That's the only official avenue I know of that still sells materials related to the movie. You can try contacting them here to see if they have any left in stock, otherwise you'll have to try a private seller. I have one.

One of our users, Howlrunner, also has one and put up some pictures. He cleaned up the cast and removed the innards to leave only the "skin," but this is its basic appearance (sans the insignia, of course):

I contacted MEL I hope they still have some left in stock, I'd love to add it to my collection.

Redstar wrote:

smb collector wrote:Anyone know of any props for sale? I would love some for my collection. No replicas, please.

MEL (MakeUp and Effects Lab) sells unpainted Goomba head busts for $60. That's the only official avenue I know of that still sells materials related to the movie. You can try contacting them here to see if they have any left in stock, otherwise you'll have to try a private seller. I have one.

Only $60 eh? That sounds like a good deal to get in on. Redstar, is that ebay seller still selling them? I think he was selling the villain goomba and toad for $200 or something like that.

billbot85 wrote:Only $60 eh? That sounds like a good deal to get in on. Redstar, is that ebay seller still selling them? I think he was selling the villain goomba and toad for $200 or something like that.

I'm not sure what there difference was, if any, now that the eBay listing I posted about is down. The ones that MEL sells are foam with what appears to be a thin skin that you can peel off after painting.