There’s a lot to love about September: you can treat yourself to a cute new pencil case (whether you’re 8 or 38), stop feeling like you have to fake tan and relax into your fall/winter wardrobe.
But the big question is, does your fall/winter wardrobe involve the most controversial footwear of the 21st century: the UGG boot?
If you’re Kendall Jenner, Emily Ratajkowki or Hailey Bieber, the answer is likely to be a resounding yes: all three fashion-forward stars have rocked the boots in recent years, from the ankle version to platforms to the mid-calf originals. For everyone else? It’s a tough decision.
The infamous style of boot that we now know as UGG was first worn by sheep shearers in Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s, but was transformed into a brand for surfers in California in 1978. It wasn’t until the early 2000s, though, that UGG became a mainstream fashion brand, with stars like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears rarely wearing anything else during off-duty outings — and sometimes even on the red carpet.
The thought process for every UGG wearer goes a little like this: Eww, I wouldn’t be seen dead in those ugly things. Hmm, I’ll just try them on in the store for fun, to see how ridiculous they look. Ohhhhhh, these things are comfy, maybe I’ll get some just for wearing around the house? OK, I’m just heading out for milk, I won’t see anyone so there’s no point in changing into real shoes. Wow, that wasn’t so bad, maybe they’re OK for every day after all. Oh, the Kates (Moss and Middleton) wear these things? I guess they must be acceptable after all.
Beware: it’s a slippery slope, and before you know it, you’ll be wearing them under your wedding dress. So, let’s take a look at the celeb history of UGGs to help you decide whether you’ll succumb this season …
Could there be anything more 2003 than these words: Kimberley Stewart, pink velour, classic UGG boots?
Yes, actually, there could: Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Motorola flip-phone launch, low-rise Juicy Couture sweatpants and fur-trimmed UGG boots. A work of modern art for sure.
The UGG has remained a popular on-set choice for stars on their feet all day, safe in the knowledge that their shoes wouldn’t make the final edit, from Blake Lively on the Gossip Girl set back in 2010, making an on-set smooch with Sam Page more comfortable, to Chrissy Teigen getting shoot-ready earlier this year.
A shoe for all seasons, as Nicole Kidman found out early in 2024, UGGs don’t look great in the rain, but they do keep your feet cozy — and the UGG with opaque tight combo is a cold weather commuter classic, as demonstrated by Sienna Miller in 2007.
UGGs on the red carpet are a controversial choice, but one that these stars threw themselves into enthusiastically, with extra points for choosing an embellished UGG or one in a vibrant shade of ‘00s.
What a bizarre time: celebrities were either wearing eight-inch bejeweled Louboutins or sheep-shearer boots with very little in-between (apart from ballet flats, another controversial ‘00s shoe on the comeback trail, ready to take you down one sore arch at a time.)
And men can UGG too! Pharrell Williams is a long-term fan.
But the classic UGG wearer is usually female and off-duty; whether walking the dog, shopping, grabbing coffee or trudging through the airport, they are usually found smiling smugly about how comfortable they are.
Are the new styles, like Jennifer Lopez’s platform version and Emily Ratajowski’s ankle-grazers, more aesthetically-pleasing, or have we just got used to them?
Us wonders, in a shallow world, have we found the ultimate proof that it really is what’s on the inside that counts? In the case of UGGs, that’s sheepskin, and very cozy feet.
