Minecraft wiki entry for Adding_beauty_to_constructions, associated text: If you have staircases that use full blocks instead of Stair blocks, it is a good idea to switch them out. It makes it much easier to walk. If you want long stairs, use slabs. For completely vertical transport use a minecart, piston, or water elevator. If you want to use up horizontal space, use slabs and blocks. You could also use a slab/stair/block recurring pattern for slightly longers stairs (1.5 blocks apart to be exact), for more horizontal travel. Also you can use slab/slab/block/block, slab/slab/stair/block/block and so on to state the stairway's shininess.