I have recently gotten to know Melanie Zhao of ZHAO Shoes just a bit and had the honor of getting some of her newest releases dropped into my inventory. At first I was skeptical, as I love shoes but can be very fussy about what actually goes on my feet. But as I unpacked these and tried them on, I could not resist them.

Before we head into the pictures, I’d like to point out that all of the ZHAO shoes are scripted with options for bling and clacking noises as you walk. Those are easily adjusted or turned off completely simply by touching the right shoe and using the menu that appears.

Of the nine pairs of shoes I examined, these were my very favorites possibly because I have not really seen anything like them in SL. They are called Virus for reasons possibly only Melanie could explain. But they remind me of something I would buy for my real life closet and wear all summer long. For some reaon, even in a pixelated fantasy world, clothing I would actually wear on my real life body thrills me.

(More fantastic shoes after the cut!)

But don’t be mislead, There are many many other shoes in this release that I adore. For example, these darling shoes called Alexis just knocked me over. Apparently I have developed quite the little thing for cherries, and I knew I had to have these shoes when I saw them. The cherries on the side are not merely painted onto the texture of the shoe either. They are actual prim details, which only adds to their charm for me.

And while we’re looking at shoes with a bit of retro charm, let’s also consider the Betty. If the polka dot pattern on these were not already enough to make you fall in love, surely the sweet little bow on top would do the trick. I see these becoming a staple with the fun little retro dresses I have stashed in my inventory.

These two shoes remind me of Stacey and Clinton on “What Not to Wear”. Pointy toed shoes elongate the line of your legs, or so they would tell you. And so what if we have slider bars for that in SL? Does that mean a girl can’t be fashionable? No way. I love the little logo charm on the Sadie shoes (top picture). And the Miabella shoes (bottom picture) will quickly become a staple in any woman’s wardrobe due to the color changing ribbons. Just click on the left shoe and choose a color from the menu to make these match any outfit in your inventory.

Not shown here, but equally fabulous are Zoey II, Delilah, Luci, and Chelle. You will just have to visit ZHAO shoes in world to see those for yourself.