My Favorite Sets of 2022
You have no idea how hard it was for me to pick my favorite sets for 2022. As I published each set, I rank them as I go. I've found trying to wait until the end of the year to rank 50-plus sets is just too daunting.
Over the last few years, this method of ranking has helped me a lot. In 2022, however, I felt like I'd constantly rethinking different sets and their placement on a regular basis. I'd move a set up or down and sometimes even move them back a week or two later. I feel like so many sets were right on par with one another and I loved them all.
With all that being said, it's time to give a definitive answer as to which sets make up my Top 10. Before I do that, however, here are three sets that just missed out and earned honorable mentions. Even these were were up in the air until last minute.
Honorable Mentions (3): Charlee - Brown College Bench, Kelsey - Flowerbed Flats, & Leah - Pink Queen of Spades Shirt
I feels so wrong not including these sets in my Top 10. I love each of them so damn much. Charlee's and Kelsey's sets feature them wearing footwear, without socks. We all know how much I love that theme. While that played heavily into why I loved them, it was more than just their sweaty, moist feet. The colors, settings, lighting, and overall casual nature of the sets added to their themes and made them stand out just a little bit more. Sometimes simple can be oh so sweet!
Then we have Leah in her pink stockings and Queen of Spades shirt. You might remember Princess Nikki in set similar to this one. I always planned to do two sister sets, one with the purple shirt/stockings and then one with the pink shirt/stockings. It just took me a little longer to finally do the pink one. Oh well, better late than never! I couldn't think of a better person to do it than Leah either. Maybe it was just meant to be?
10. I'm Cuckin' It
Published Date: June 29, 2022
Macy Divine is one of only two models to debut on Soles of Silk in 2022, with the other being Roulette Raye. But this meet up almost didn't happen. Needless to say, I'm sure glad it did.
Macy is so down-to-earth and playful. She was the perfect person to pull off this set and jumped at the chance to do it. She was eager to do some teasing and put you bois in your place. Maybe her photographer too?
In addition to the theme, I loved how the colors popped in this set. Wearing the red and yellow shirt really made Macy stand out.
Of course I give models a lot of the credit when it comes to pushing sets over the top. This one was no exception. Macy really played up the theme with her expressions and poses throughout the set. You'd really think that she absolutely hates little fries and prefers them larger. Or maybe she's using the fries to represent something else? Hmm...
9. Fuck!
Published Date: March 9, 2022
I had been sitting on this set for some time, shooting it back in 2020. Still, I had a feeling back then that this would one day be on one of my Top 10 listings. And, I was right!
Kaycee has found herself on several of these annual Top 10 listings since her 2014 debut. This includes the set she shot the same day prior to this one - her Ball Buster set. That one took fifth place in My Favorite Sets of 2021. Talk about a day of mean girl sets that she totally owned!
The story behind this set gives this one a bit of a personal touch. I always tease Kaycee for having a potty mouth. F-bombs can be common in her vocabulary. While out shopping one day, I saw the shirt above along with several props that all featured the word, "fuck." I bought them and told Kaycee I found some stuff for a future set that was right up her alley.
Although you can't tell in the sample photo, this set also featured black thigh high socks. It was so hot the day that we shot this, so Kaycee's feet got very sweaty. I'm sure that also played into why I loved this one even more.
8. Squirter
Published Date: January 26, 2022
By the looks of this year's list, models wearing fun shirts tend to make for some of my best sets. Leah wore the pink Queen of Spades shirt in an honorable mention. Macy spoofed McDonald's with her "I'm Cuckin' It" shirt in the 10th place set. In ninth place, Kaycee's shirt said "Fuck" and featured its definition. And here in eighth place, Charlee is wearing a spoof shirt that reads "Squirter."
I bought this shirt a couple of years ago for Audrey to wear, but that shoot never happened. When Charlee saw the shirt she laughed so hard and said she wanted to wear it in one of her sets. Funny thing was, she had no idea that it was a spoof off the soda brand, Squirt. I literally had to pull it up on my phone to show her.
Long story short, I told Charlee that I'd love for her wear it, but my preference was to have whoever used it to "fit the description," if you will. I told her Audrey did and that's why she was going to wear it. Charlee laughed and then said, "That's meeeee! I do too." And with that, she set the shirt aside and I had my Squirter model.
While she was getting dressed, I ran to the store to find some bottles of Squirt for inclusion into the set. Charlee gave one a taste and we began shooting the set. We were both laughing the entire time. We loved what we were seeing on the camera's view finder as we stopped every few photos to look at how things were going. Like a few other sets on this list, I had a feeling that this one would end up making it to one of my Top 10 favorite listings. And here it is at number 8.
Disclaimer: No sheets were drenched in the making of this set.
7. These Two Ticklish!
The vast majority of my team up sets happen with models who are friends or related to one another. That familiarity always results in the sets being energetic and fun. So when the same thing happens with two models who have never met one another, I'm one happy photographer. That's what happened when Charlee and Ava teamed up for two sets. And yes, both of them were amazing and you'll be seeing the other one on this list too.
What made this set most memorable was watching both Charlee and Ava laughing their asses off and almost falling off the bed. While I don't have a tickling fetish, seeing them have at each other's feet was a sight to behold. They both tried to hold back the laugher, like they weren't ticklish, but their efforts were in vain. Before long toes began curling, eyes began squinting, and legs began being pulled away from one another.
I think it's safe to say that Charlee and Ava both found out that they're a little more ticklish than they originally thought they were. If they deny it, maybe one day I'll have them do it again to see who's right.
6. By the Fireplace
Published Date: March 30, 2022
When talking about two of the three sets that made up the honorable mentions, I said that simple can be oh so sweet. Here is more proof of that being true. Prior to this day's shoot, Mindee and I had come up with several themes for her sets. This, however, wasn't one of them.
On that day there was some snow on the ground from a recent snowstorm. She showed up to the shoot wearing the boots and clothing you see above. When I looked down at her boots, Mindee smiled and asked me if she'd also be doing a boot set now too. I said yes and we used the fireplace for its setting.
As much as I enjoyed our pre-planned themes, I fell in love with how this simple and warm this set feels from start to finish. Mindee has always said that so many of our best sets are the ones we didn't plan. She's isn't wrong as that's been the case many times over the years. Still, that doesn't mean one of our pre-planned sets didn't make the list either. More on that in a bit.
5. (tie) Art Series - Markers & Art Series - Paint
Published Dates: October 19, 2022 & October 26, 2022
It's rare for me to feature ties on these annual Top 10 listings. I try not to do it, but in this case, it makes perfect sense. Back in October, Abby did an Art Series of sets - one featuring markers and the other, acrylic paint. These themes stem from our history. For those who are unaware, we met in our high school art classes and then dated during our time in art college. She was my first "foot model," if you will, and is responsible for making me so comfortable with my foot fetish.
What I loved about both sets in this series, and I'm certain Abby would also agree, is our use of color. We both learned the importance of strong colors and color choices from the same instructors. This was evident in Abby's paintings and drawings and is something I try to carry into my photography.
While I do prefer the marker set slightly due to Abby's soft, wrinkled soles being front and center in most of the photos, I also admit that they look adorable covered in paint. Which one do you prefer?
4. Kiss Our Feet Size Compare
Back in 2019 I published a set featuring Mindee and Kaycee wearing pink shirts that read, "Kiss My Feet." Usually my models keep all the clothing I give them for their sets, but both girls left the shirts behind for some reason. Still having them in my possession, I decided to put them to use again in another model duo. Charlee and Ava wore them this go around, but we decided to change things up just a little bit instead of making the set a direct copy/remake.
In Mindee's and Kaycee's version, the two wore white thigh high socks with pink stripes and blew some bubbles with pink bubble gum. For Charlee and Ava, they wore white thigh high stockings and did some size play. With Ava having size 9's and Charlee 7.5's, the plan was for the girls to compare size difference of their feet. Rulers and magnifying glasses came into play. Before long though, the size play appeared to be focused more on the bois, turning more into a size teasing set.
Now I had done some size teasing/bratty themes with both models individually, but to see them turn their set into one together, bumped this up to another level. I love when the models bring their own energy and ideas to the sets. I should have known that both Charlee and Ava would be bossing me around while sitting side-by-side. They do it when they're by themselves. I'm not complaining though!
3. Sweaty Sneakers on the Bleachers
Published Date: October 5, 2022
Over the years I've done many sets of my models kicking off sneakers on bleachers. It's an easy place to shoot and fits the theme well. Even though these are common, so many of them turn out so well and have ranked among my favorites each and every year. Well, in 2022 Kelsey's sneaker set gets added to that list.
I was able to capture so many great shots of Kelsey's warm soles and plump toes as she kicked off her moist sneakers. The funny thing is, we did these shots all while we wondered if we were being watched by two different police officers. We said "fuck it," and just did our thing.
The first cop left after about 20 photos into the set and the second arrived just as we were wrapping up. We were never bothered, but we think they both saw us doing foot photos. Not like it's a crime to do the tamer photos I shoot for Soles of Silk - especially since there was no one else around as far as the eye could see, with the storms that were moving in.
2. Blueberry Bust
Published Date: April 20, 2022
For a few years now I've been wanting to do a mean girl, blueberry squish set for the site. In 2022, I finally had my chance. Mindee was 100 percent up for doing the deed and likes showing off how she's the boss. While we didn't go crazy on the brat aspect, she did introduce a pair of heels into the set to squish those little useless berries. Even though she did it in a playful manner, I'm sure the message was obvious!
What I loved most about this set was Mindee's outfit, combined with the colors surrounding her. It's hard to make black pop off a background, but in this case, it worked. The light blues and whites in the dining room framed Mindee better than I could have anticipated. That black also allowed for Mindee's blonde hair and skin tone to pop (pun intended). Things just played off one another so well.
Since Mindee was wearing pantyhose, her stockings never came off. Being fence nets though, it doesn't really matter. Mindee's heavenly feet can be seen easily with such a sparse netting. That's why I love fence nets so much.
Between the shine on her toes and the colorful juices on her soles, you can tell who was the boss of those itty bitty berries. They didn't stand a chance! Mindee's feet were so moist from the berries and the netting of her pantyhose was wet as it clung to her powerful feet.
1. Cozy Queen
Published Date: February 23, 2022
For two years in a row, Ava takes the top spot on my annual rankings. Last year her Naughty or Nice? Christmas set came in at number one. This year, her Cozy Queen set is tops. Both sets were actually shot the same day, back-to-back. Talk about a day with some stellar results! I love everything about this set.
First of all, Ava looks so damn adorable in her adult onesie. It's softness, combined with the fuzzy pillows and the marshmallows gives this set an over all feeling of comfort - at least in my eyes. The soft color palette is so inviting too.
This set just feels like Ava is sitting there inviting me to rub her feet as she relaxes with some hot chocolate. I mean, in my case, she was. I mean as a viewer - it's like she wants you to come rub her big size 9's. And yeah, I was bragging about rubbing them. Do you blame me?
Before wrapping up, I will say that this is the only set I never even reconsidered moving out its spot. From it's February 23, 2022 publish date, it sat in the number one spot on my on-going list and never moved. While I do love all the other sets on this listing, this set is one I consider to be among my all-time favorites. Perhaps that's a list I'll have to make in 2024 when the site turns 20. My Top 20 Sets of All-Time. What do you think?
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