
Making sounds one step at a time
The sound of footsteps is one of the most common and recognizable sounds in the world. We hear it all the time, whether we’re walking down the street, watching a movie, or listening to music. And it is also one of the trickiest and most high-demand sounds in the Foley portfolio. This is because a footstep isn’t just a footstep. Many factors affect the sound, from the materials involved to the style of shoe, and the motion itself. There’s a lot that goes into the sound of the individual footfall. With this latest upload of footstep sounds, Smartsound Cloud is ready to help sound designers meet the challenge of getting this key sound right.
About the sounds
There are many different types of footsteps, each with its own unique sound. Some of the various footwear (and non) that we’ve included are:
- Barefoot: These are the sounds of someone walking, jogging, or running barefoot. They are typically light and airy, with a slight swishing sound.
- Sneakers: These cover the sounds of someone walking, jogging, or running in shoes and also doing scuffs with a variety of surfaces, and with either rubber or leather soles. They are louder and more pronounced than barefoot footsteps, and they can vary depending on the type of shoe worn.
- Boots: These are the sounds of someone walking, running, and jumping in boots, as well as scuffs. They are typically the loudest and most pronounced. We’ve included both “regular” boots and leather boots.
We’ve tried to include as many surfaces as possible, including metal, gravel, snow, ice, wood, and frozen lake. And we also have a lot of movement-related sounds, like rustling and clothing.
Our sound designers utilized our studio to recreate the effects in a controlled environment, allowing you to accurately and faithfully use them in your projects. With this collection, you’re set to make a proper foley plate for your games and videos and really bring them to life!
What the sounds can be used for
Sound designers regularly use footsteps for a variety of different projects, including films, video games, and music. They can be used to create a sense of realism and immersion, to add suspense and excitement, or simply to add atmosphere or mood.
In films, footstep Foley is often used to show how keen the hearing is of one character or another – how many movies have someone hearing and identifying someone else by their footsteps? Sound designers also use them to create tension and suspense, as in Psycho, we hear the footsteps and stumbling of “Mother” in her struggle against Arbogast.
In video games, footsteps can either create a sense of immersion and realism, or to make the players really freak the crap out (especially in high-tension combat and/or horror games, like Resident Evil). In FPS games, the varying footstep sounds can make the player feel with their character as they cross different material surfaces, and also alert them of other characters nearby.
And of course, in music, you can use them for a solid percussion sound.
SMARTSOUND CLOUD
Whether you’re working on indie horror shorts or big-budget fantasy game cinematics, these customizable footstep sounds provide an affordable way to bring virtually any character to life and bring your audience into the moment.
So knock your boots together with Smartsound Cloud’s latest flexible and easy-to-use sound effects and app. Your audience is waiting to be convinced, and you can use these footstep sounds to complete the deal… Sign up now now to step into a new world of sound.