Microsoft announces limited-edition Windows XP-inspired Crocs - what's the catch and how to get them
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Microsoft logo at their office building (Image via Getty)Microsoft, as a part of its 50th anniversary celebration, has announced the release of a limited edition Windows XP-inspired Crocs. The limited edition Crocs features the iconic Windows XP default wallpaper, named Bliss. However, the catch is that the Windows XP Crocs are open for orders exclusively for Windows employees at this time.
As per Verge, Windows has shared its intention to make their special collaboration with Crocs available for the general public in the near future. The company will likely make an announcement informing fans and users about the sandals' availability, and how they can get their hands on the coveted Windows XP Crocs.
According to the report by Verge, Microsoft’s chief communication officer spoke about the nostalgic charm of the Windows Crocs, and noted,
“As part of Microsoft’s 50th anniversary celebration, we’re releasing a Microsoft Limited Edition Crocs Bundle that includes nostalgic nods like Windows XP-inspired Crocs, custom Jibbitz charms, and a Bliss-themed drawstring backpack, While this is not an official partnership with Crocs, the bundle is a fun, limited-run celebration of Microsoft’s legacy.”
What do the Windows XP-themed Crocs look like?
As per Dexerto, the limited edition Windows XP themed Crocs uses the aesthetics of the iconic ‘Bliss’ wallpaper to seamlessly match up with the timeless design of the Crocs sandals. The sole of the limited edition crocs resembles the green grass which appears at the bottom end of the wallpaper. Like the wallpaper, the upper portion of the Crocs is adorned with cumulus clouds.
According to the report by Dexerto, the limited edition Crocs will also include a number of other surprises. The limited edition package comes along with a total of six Jibbitz, which can be attached to the ventilation holes which appear in the upper part of the design of Crocs.
The designs for the Jibbitz have been meticulously chosen. As per Dexerto, the Jibbitz are based on well-known and loved Microsoft icons such as the Internet Explorer logo, the MSN butterfly and the mouse pointer.
For Microsoft users from the late 1990s to the present, the unique merchandise is sure to evoke more than a faint sense of nostalgia.
About the Windows XP default wallpaper
The ‘Bliss’ wallpaper, which became one of the most viewed photographs of all time, was initially titled ‘Bucolic Green Hills,’ as per Far Out Magazine. The photograph was shot by former National Geographic photographer Charles O’Rear, while he was driving on a highway in California, as per Digital Camera World.
Far Out Magazine noted that the photograph was taken by O’Rear in 1996 with a Mamiya RZ67 medium-format camera. Speaking about the vibrant colors of the landscape, O’Rear told the magazine,
“It made the difference and, I think, helped the photograph stand out even more. I think that if I had shot it with 35mm, it would not have nearly the same effect.”
During a conversation with Shoot The Rabbit, O’Rear recounted the time when he took the photograph, and said,
“On this particular day in January, while driving this winding little, what I call a country road, there it was, ‘my god the grass is perfect, it’s green, the sun is ou,t there's some clouds.’”
It was made available for clients through Westlight, a stock photography agency co-founded by O’Rear himself.
In 2001, the photograph would become the default wallpaper for the newly launched Windows XP. As per Digital Camera World, the acquisition of the photograph came through in a serendipitous incident after O’Rear’s stock photography agency was acquired by Corbis, a company owned by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
TOPICS: Microsoft, Crocs, Windows XP