Lightning Boots

The running speed is what you notice first, but the short burst of flight is what changes how you play. It is enough to clear a ledge you misjudged, save a jump over lava, or hold yourself in place for half a second while something passes underneath you. Before wings, that is the closest thing to air control the game gives you.

Equipping wings switches the boots out of flight duty and hands their time to the wings instead. It comes out slightly ahead, and more importantly you get one continuous meter rather than two that you have to alternate between. There is no reason to take the boots off when you upgrade.

If you wear more than one sprint accessory, the game reads the one sitting lowest in your rows and uses that speed cap. Leaving an older pair of boots underneath these quietly slows you down and gives no warning. Keep the best pair at the bottom, or just stop carrying the redundant ones.