Charles Oldrieve: The Man Who Walked on Water for Nearly 1,600 Miles in 40 Days

A 19th-century circus performer amazed crowds by “walking on water”—and made a dangerous journey from Cincinnati to New Orleans.

Revere Beach in Boston, 1892. Charles Oldrieve first tried walking at the beach in 1888. Public Domain

Back in the 1880s, when pedestrianism (competitive walking) was a popular sport, Charles Oldrieve decided to take competition to the next level—by walking on water. Toward the end of his career, Oldrieve accomplished his greatest feat, successfully traveling on water from Cincinnati to New Orleans. To this day, his record remains unchallenged; no one has attempted the distance since.

Oldrieve was a high-wire performer (tightrope walker) for a traveling circus based in Boston. One day in the summer of 1888, while at Revere Beach, he decided to attempt walking on water. He originally got the idea from Ned Hanlen, who had copied the trick from someone else. 

Engineering the Impossible

However, while Hanlen used boots that were 6 feet long and wide, Oldrieve designed smaller, more functional shoes that were canoe-shaped and made of cedar with copper plating. They were equipped with flaps that stayed up when he lifted his feet and dropped down to grip the water when he stepped, giving him traction to move forward.