I made a pair last year, using the blueprints and instructions found at
http://www.instructables.com/id/Werewolf-Stilts-digitigrade-legs/, also for a draenai costume. I made one change to the design, I cut the lower leg section shorter, and bolted a block of wood to the plate that serves as a foot in that design, around which I built my hoof, so the structure looked like this:
I was amazed at how easily I was able to get the hang of walking in them, although I had to make sure I built a prop weapon that was big enough for me to use as a support, as without that, I couldn't stand still. By the end of the day (close to 12 hours of being in the full costume, albeit with a bit of a break middle day) I was exhausted, but I also hadn't been overly smart about eating much during the day.
I had no stresses on my knees or shins. In fact, the only issues I had, was a blister on one toe (more due to the shoes I used, than the design of the stilts), and I had a pressure point on the front of each thigh, which had been caused by the angle of my legs shifting throughout the day - the support cables had stretched out, and by the end of the day, I was trying to walk too upright. It is worth spending a number of hours practicing in the stilts ahead of time, for just this reason, and I had not allowed enough time to do this. Now I've had a chance to repair that, and tighten things up, I'm actually really excited to find another reason to use these again!
