An Ugg-ly situation

“She looks like a slutty Eskimo.”

This is the initial reaction an acquaintance of mine had when she saw her first Ugg boot. To provide a bit of context, I’ll concede that this acquaintance lived in Florida and that the boots happened to be paired with a miniskirt and tank top. Here in Bloomington, where the mercury actually drops below 75, it seems a bit more sensible to don these infamous boots.

Still, this comment really got me thinking. It seems like everyone these days has a very strong opinion about Uggs: “love ’em or leave ’em,” or, as is more often the case here, “wear ’em constantly or bash ’em mercilessly.”

But what makes Uggs so special? How have they managed to capture the admiration of millions and the loathing of millions more? Whose idea were they, anyway?

I did a little research on the matter, and what turned up confirmed at long last what has always been my suspicion: Yes, the boots’ name is derived from the word “ugly.” I can’t imagine anyone being shocked by this news, but in case you are, just take a good look at them. Nor should you be offended by the “unattractive” label that is inextricably tied to your boots.

Think about hoodies and T-shirts – they’re ugly as sin, but we wear them anyway because we simply can’t resist their warm, comfy goodness.   

For centuries, an “Ug,” also spelled “Ugh” or “Ugg,” has been the name given to a generic, Australian-made, sheepskin boot that could keep your feet warm in the winter and wick away all that nasty, heat-induced perspiration in the summer (turns out the “slutty Eskimo” look isn’t so irrational, after all).

In the 1960s the boots became popular on Australia’s beaches as a way of keeping surfers’ feet warm after they were done riding the waves for the day. They soon came to represent the laid-back, surfer-dude lifestyle, and every wave-rider had to have these mondo-gnarly boots.
 
Uggs then became fashionable at ski resorts Down Under, and once a single, enterprising Aussie took a few pairs to the States, they spread like a merciless, aesthetically unpleasing wildfire. They’ve even been featured on Oprah – the pinnacle of success – and aren’t likely to go away anytime soon.
 
To ease the suffering of those who are devastated by the Ugg’s staying-power, I’ll leave you with one last little piece of irony.

One of my roommates, who spent a few months in Australia, informed me that Down Under, Uggs are generally associated with farmers. How do you think the high-fashion crowd here would feel about that?

But in all honesty, now that we’ve had a good laugh at the shoes’ expense, we need to acknowledge that we’re going to have to live with them. It’s hard to come to terms with that, I know, but in the spirit of goodwill, world peace and all that jazz, for the moment, we’re just going to have to accept this Ugg-ly situation.