| | My dislike of the Ignite bootie feet explained...Had a few folks asking that if I'm so down on the felt-bottomed footie-pajama tabi on Ignite's figure, what out there was a superior alternative.
Here's a sampling of the competition, some better, some worse:
These are the rubbery sandals (known as Waraji) from the Alfrex figure of Sonny Chiba's Hattori Hanzo (Kage no Gundan). Well, they really tried here, crafting a soft plastic 'sole' of sorts tied onto the figure's foot with string. Interesting notion, but the result is a HUGE platform, way wider than the foot, looking more like nordic snow shoes.
Alfrex's feet have a wide gap between the big toe and the rest of the foot, and that's a great innovation for keeping these on, but not enough to save this disaster. I put these one level below the Ignite's.
These are from the TRIAD female ninja outfit (actually more expensive than the entire Ignite figure by the way), and in my opinion the absolute WORST of the ninja footwear out there. I'm critical of the entire TRIAD line, and I like my figures authentic to at least the Japanese movie and TV costume ideals, if not historical illustrations, so this crap just does not fly with me.
The cloth boot sleeves are are okay, but the velcro closures in back make the lower leg bulk up and the female figs in particular look like they have kunoichi kankles! The 'soles' are a weird layer of black foam that platforms them up like Creepers, and the bottom has a baffling woodgrain-printed decal surface. WHA??? Nothing like a smooth wooden surface to ensure traction and silent running on stone parapets and hardwood flooring...
To top it all off, the notch cut in front to indicate the toe separation is pretty much in the center of the foot! OUCH! I call complete bullshit on the TRIAD, bottom of the barrel.
These, from Dragon's Onimusha Kaede figure are a significant step up in female ninja footware, although by no means ideal. I love the molded sandal, especially the 'tread' on the bottom. Would have been nice if the strapping went behind the ankle so they stayed more secure to the foot, though.
These figures, with the jointless bendy body, kinda suck though, so one wants to transfer the footwear onto another figure. Alas, the proprietary Kaede feet are TINY, and the sandals fall short of fitting most any other body's dogs. A major step better is her male counterparts's...
I really like these feet on the Dragon Onimusha. I don't necessarily need a separate piece molded to be worn on a foot like a shoe. Waraji are thin twine, not bulky rope, so I can forgive a purposefully molded foot like this. I bought a pile of this figure loose nude just for these feet.
The only drawback is the bare feet. They don't really work for an armored figure or a black-clad commando per se. I'd love a similar foot sculpt with black or white tabi socks in place. That's the only drawback here, so they take a strong second place.
These, however, are the clear cut winner...
These are from the "bear armor" variant of SEA International's Ieyasu Tokugawa samurai figure, and are the perfect execution of what poor Alfrex was trying to do. The waraji are molded plastic. The ropes are nice and thin (you need to handle with care), but hold the sandal secure to the foot, which has a toe gap and is covered by cloth tabi socks.
Just perfect. If these figures weren't so pricey, I'd have bought a bunch for the footwear.
Absent from this list are the Dragon in Dreams high-end samurai figures, and the greatly-imporved latter Alfrex stuff. I have a pair of the DiD waraji, which are pretty much an exact sandal replica made of thin string! This is certainly a major step forward, IF you can figure out how to tie the damn things. I tried lacing a real pair onto the feet of a model once, and it was humiliating. I can't image being able to do it in 1:6... The latter Alfrex stuff looks identical to the SEA International deal, but I haven't been able to get an up close look.
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| | Posted 2/14/2008 12:40 AM - 0 comments
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