Remember, kids–style first! : Xing Boots @ Shiny Things
It feels like an age and a half since Fallingwater Cellardoor used her superpowers of creativity for the specific benefit of SL malekind, and we of that particular persuasion have been the poorer for it. Good lord, could her Murphy shoes really be her last release for us guys? Fallingwater, we’ve missed you! Please don’t leave us again like that. We promise to behave ourselves.
One look at her new men’s release, though, and I find myself thinking that maybe, just maybe, it was worth the wait. The Xing Boots are ferociously styled and immaculately constructed, with care, attention to detail, and love to spare. It’s good to feel the love again.
One of the first things you’ll notice is that two versions of the boots are included. This seems odd at first, but a handy notecard provides a detailed explanation. The short version of the story is that the different boot versions are designed with different viewer versions in mind. As with most things in life, there’s a tradeoff involved, but in general you’ll want to wear the boots designed for the version you’re using, and if you haven’t already done so, consider upgrading to the newer viewer version (1.21) if at all possible.
Okay, enough tech talk. Get to the good part! Yeah, I hear ya. These boots are gorgeous. I knew it wasn’t just me when I ran into Kith last night. The conversation went something like this:
Kith:Â omg
Kith:Â your boots!
Ryan: I know! they are BEAUTIFUL
Kith: they are! the buckles
Kith:Â wow
Kith:Â !
So, yeah, not just me.
How are they beautiful? Let me count the ways. The leather textures are wonderful, rich and deep. The underlying form is realistic, sturdy and rugged-looking. The sculpting is clean and tight, with no “almost but not quite there” elements that I can see. The baked-in highlights are natural and even, not specifically directional, so the boots look not just good but “right” from any angle. (Highly directional highlights are a pet peeve of mine.) The upper and lower boot sections, which are of course separate prim attachments, meet and blend almost seamlessly, preserving the illusion of the boot’s ”whole” construction. I could lose myself in the details, like the way the laces thread perfectly through their grommets. I know, it’s neither terribly original nor unexpected to rave about one of Fallingwater’s designs, but what can I do? I have to call ‘em like I see ‘em.
The boots aren’t scripted for automatic resize, and they’re not moddable (permissions are M C T), but four sizes are included to fit a wide range of foot sizes. (To my surprise, I ended up wearing Medium rather than Small, so the Small really is small.) You can change the color of the laces by wearing the included HUD and clicking on the color you want. The version 1.21 HUD (for viewer version 1.21) supports a much larger range of colors. Both HUDs work with either boot version, but you must be using viewer version 1.21 or above to use the 1.21 HUD. Gaah, tech talk again!
You can choose from five different colors: Ash Brown, Black, Grey, Oxblood, and Warm Brown. Priced at L$500 for a single color; you can try on a free demo in the shop, and there’s a giant pair rezzed just outside the shop entrance for close inspection or a fairly surreal photo op. There’s also a version of these boots for the ladies.
Available now at Shiny Things (Shiny Falls 164, 177, 37).
absolutely beautiful boots.
THE BUCKLES! *still can’t get over it!* I bought one pair…still want the ash brown.
Fantastic boots as ever from Fallingwater. We’re incredibly lucky these days…when I started SL there was very little fashion specifically for men (in that, it was almost that men just needed a T-shirt/jeans, or a suit) especially in comparsion to the women’s market. It was very difficult to find good-looking clothes (and hair and skins…) specifically for guys. Thanks to blogs like this, but also to people like Fallingwater who have promoted men’s fashion over the years, this has changed.
So, yes, welcome back Fallingwater and much worship!