Boots of Hermes: the Winged Boots Kratos Cut from Hermes in God of War III

The Boots of Hermes are the winged boots of Hermes, messenger of the gods, which Kratos takes in God of War III by cutting the god's legs off. They look like heavy greaves with fiery red wings at the sides, and they give Kratos a share of Hermes's speed: a sprint, a dash, and the ability to run on certain walls. (God of War III)

How Kratos got the Boots of Hermes#

Hermes was the fastest of the Olympians, and he knew it. When Kratos and the Titans stormed Mount Olympus, Hermes kept turning up just out of reach, taunting Kratos about how slow he was and then racing off. One chase took them right around the outside of the Olympian citadel. (God of War III)

Kratos couldn't catch him on foot, so he changed the game. He chained himself to a boulder and launched it from a catapult into a statue of Athena where Hermes was standing, and the whole thing came down with both of them. Hurt and worn out, Hermes had to fight, and for all his speed he kept needing to stop for breath. (God of War III)

When he went down, he got one last jab in, telling Kratos that in the end the only one he would betray was himself. Kratos cut his legs off at the knee to take the boots. Hermes's body then broke apart into a swarm of flies that carried sickness across Olympus and killed many of its servants. (God of War III)

What the Boots of Hermes do#

The boots are a movement item. They don't add an attack set the way Kratos's weapons do. Instead they make him fast. With them on, he can break into a sprint, dash forward and slam into enemies, and run along certain walls marked with glowing golden bootprints, which opens routes that jumping alone can't reach. (God of War III)

Did Kratos keep the Boots of Hermes?#

Yes, at least to the end of God of War III. Near the close of the game, Zeus attacked Kratos one last time as a spirit, an astral form, in the ruins of Olympus. Most of Kratos's gear, the Head of Helios among it, was left behind after that. The boots weren't. They can still be seen on his legs. (God of War III)

For everything else Kratos fought with in Greece, see every weapon Kratos has used. (God of War III)

Are the Boots of Hermes in God of War Ragnarök?#

No. Among the main games the Boots of Hermes only appear in God of War III. When Kratos turns up in the Norse realms years later he has left most of his Greek gear behind, and the boots aren't part of his kit in Ragnarök. (God of War Ragnarök)

For where the Greek and Norse games sit in the story, see the God of War timeline. (God of War III; God of War Ragnarök)