The Foot Combat Armour of Henry VIII is one of the treasures of the Royal Armouries collection. It is one of a very few armours designed to protect every part of the body, and this article shows how the king’s armourers arranged this while still allowing the wearer freedom of movement. The same problem arose in the mid 20th century when American engineers were developing space suits, and the article shows how some of them attempted to re-use Renaissance technology for space-age purposes.