Ugly or not: Boots made for walking in all kinds of weather

During the past year, a not-so-new fashion trend has overtaken the footwear department: Ugg boots. Manufactured by Ugg Australia, the shoes consist entirely of woolen sheepskin—a material that, according to the company, "breathes," acting as an insulator in cold temperatures and cooling feet in warmer weather. As documented by an article in the electronic edition of the Albuquerque Journal, Uggs originated in the 1970s as footwear for Californian surfers. Currently, the popular Ultra Short Women's variety of the boot sells for $145.00, but, according to the Ugg Australia website (www.uggaustralia.com), the company is out of stock in all of the three available colors: black, chestnut and sand.

As a result of the shoe's incredible popularity, several other companies have produced lookalike versions of the Ugg boot. At $129.99, Chooka boots are available in light pink, sand, light blue, black with pink soles and surf blue. Several companies produce more wallet-friendly faux Uggs: Lugz boots sell for $79.95, Steve Madden Iglou Boots for $99.99 and Hi-Lo Boots for $82.95.

Elaine Korry, a reporter for NPR radio station, said, "Ugg boots have become the anti-fashion answer to pointy stilettos."

But is the Uggs style truly appealing to the population at large?

Liz Inkellis '07 said, "When you wear [Ugg boots], you look like an elf."

Such a statement suggests the fashion trend does not have universal appeal.

One male student, who wished to remain anonymous, said Uggs "look like the boots my mom made me wear in the third grade."

Another male student said, "Uggs are stylish — if you are a 50-year-old woman."

While the first male implied Uggs are juvenile and the second that they are for an older constituency, their comments share a common factor: Uggs are out of place on the feet of twenty-somethings.

There certainly exists an opposing perspective, however, exemplified by the opinion of Joanna Gaines '05: "On some girls [the Uggs are] cute, and they make sense for the winter."

She qualified her opinion, however, by adding that Uggs are inappropriate in certain situations: "I don't feel like this weather necessarily calls for them," she said.

The inference is that while Ugg boots may serve a functional purpose and accordingly look attractive in the correct context—such as that of winter—other situations do not call for the sheepskin-lined boots.

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One male student concentrated on clothing as a potential factor limiting the appropriateness of Ugg boots: "I think the whole skirt and Uggs thing is heinous. Just awful," he said.

Thus, though Ugg boots are sweeping today's footwear markets, the shoes do not necessarily appeal to all corners of the market. To some, the new boots are simply ugly. No pun intended.