Soul Speed is one of the most useful enchantments in Minecraft’s Nether. It lets you move way faster across soul sand and soul soil, which makes traveling through the Soul Sand Valley biome a breeze instead of a nightmare.
What Soul Speed Does
When you wear boots enchanted with Soul Speed, you move significantly faster on soul sand and soul soil blocks. Without it, walking through these blocks feels like trudging through mud. With Soul Speed, you zoom across them. It’s that simple and that effective.
The enchantment goes up to Level 3, and each level increases your speed more. Soul Speed III is the sweet spot if you’re doing serious Nether exploration.
Key Details
| Enchantment | Soul Speed |
|---|---|
| Max Level | Level 3 (Soul Speed III) |
| Works On | Boots only |
| Where It Works | Soul Sand and Soul Soil blocks |
| Where to Find It | Bastion Remnants, Piglin bartering |
| How to Apply | Anvil or /enchant command (not from enchanting table) |
How to Get Soul Speed
Loot from Bastion Remnants
Bastion Remnants are the easiest way to find Soul Speed enchanted boots or books. These structures spawn in the Nether and often contain multiple chests. Search thoroughly and you’ll probably find what you need.
You might find Soul Speed I, II, or III here, along with enchanted books you can use on boots later.
Barter with Piglins
If you’re in the Nether already, you can trade with Piglins for Soul Speed. Here’s how:
- Wear at least one piece of gold armor (helmet, chestplate, leggings, or boots) so Piglins don’t attack you
- Throw a gold ingot near a Piglin or use it on them
- The Piglin examines it for a few seconds, then throws back a random item
- Keep bartering until you get boots or a book with Soul Speed
It takes patience, but it works. Piglins give a decent chance of dropping Soul Speed items.
How to Use It
Apply to Boots
You can add Soul Speed to boots using an anvil. Place the boots in one slot and either an enchanted book or another pair of enchanted boots in the other slot. Pay the experience cost and you’re done.
Alternatively, use the /enchant command to add it directly to boots you’re holding.
Wear the Boots
Once your boots have Soul Speed, equip them and head to the Nether. Walk on soul sand or soul soil and feel the difference. You’ll move so much faster that exploring becomes fun instead of annoying.
Soul Speed Commands
If you want to use commands to add Soul Speed directly:
/enchant @p soul_speed 1
Adds Soul Speed I to the boots you’re holding.
/enchant @p soul_speed 2
Adds Soul Speed II to the boots you’re holding.
/enchant @p soul_speed 3
Adds Soul Speed III to the boots you’re holding.
What Boots to Use
You can add Soul Speed to any type of boots in Minecraft:
- Leather Boots
- Chain Boots
- Iron Boots
- Golden Boots
- Diamond Boots
- Netherite Boots
Netherite boots are the best choice since they’re the most durable. But any boots work. You can also add Soul Speed to enchanted books if you want to save them for later.
Version Info
Soul Speed was added in Minecraft 1.16 (the Nether Update). It’s available in all versions since then on both Java Edition (PC/Mac) and Bedrock Edition.
The enchantment ID for commands is minecraft:soul_speed in Java Edition.