Ugg Boot Crazy. What is Really Happening?

Over the past few years, an Ugg and Emu boot phenomenon has taken over Los Angeles.

Outfits no longer make sense.

People’s feet are dressed for winter and their bellies are dressed for summer (yes, that’s a mere 5 degree difference here in LA, but you know what I’m getting at).

I honestly hoped this would wear off over time, and as the feet got warmer and the butts got colder (and the funny tan lines became laughable come summer time), the boots would walk themselves back into the closet and save themselves for a more appropriate use.

For a brief moment I believed that by taking photographs people would see how utterly ridiculous this trend has become and the abused-and-ashamed boots could crawl back up into the bottom hem of the pant legs where they belong, finding a safe haven beneath the bottom third of a boot cut pant, relieved they no longer have to be the prime focus of a stupid outfit.

But not in LA.

The boots just keep getting bigger and furrier and more complicated until it is unclear if that’s a Yeti or an urban hipster approaching until they are 6 feet away, in which case it may simply be too late.

Join us now as we take a look at about a dozen or so more examples of Ugg-wear in LA.

First I want to know where are all of these footless yetis living now? What do the poachers do with their bodies after severing them from their ankles?

Maybe it’s just my cynicism shining through, but it seems common sense is no longer hip and has gone to the wayside. What better way to illustrate the cumulative decline in thinking than to wear an outfit that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever? I mean, at least get the  which is more appropriate beachwear.

I am no fashion guru (and if you ever meet me you will know I’m hardly even an apprentice), but I remember hearing on some TLC makeover show that long continuous lines make your legs look longer and slimmer. I’m not sure if general logic properties apply to fashion ensembles, but I would derive from the above rule that choppy lines with chunky boots make your legs look shorter and fatter, and according to modern wisdom (Oprah), that’s not desirable.

My cats have been asking me to get these. It reminds them of the toys that are attached to their cat condo and they appear to be constructed from real live bunnies, two of my cats’ natural prey. (I told the cats that on principle I will not spend $200 on a pair of shoes which are host to fleas, they don’t seem to understand, but they haven’t had to work a day in their lives so they have no appreciation for money or what things cost these days.)

Since no one goes halfway here in Los Angeles, now there is a clamoring of urban hipsters to try to outdo each other by adding decals and patches and bling to the boots to make them “individual” and “unique.”

I apologize for the poor quality of this photo but the woman is wearing pink furry boots with a sparkly rhinestone skull and crossbones on them, which I could not let go.

And what has become of our youth? They no longer concern themselves with the everlasting perils of arch support? The $150 dead animal boot is now the workout shoe of choice for America’s perkiest cheerleading squads? Honestly ladies, I don’t think these boots were made for walking (or dancing/jumping/spinning), I think the greatest amount of strain they are intended for is the lazy post-surfing munchies.

These furry white things have become so prevalent in Los Angeles, that now you can get them for your (sigh). I feel fortunate my brain didn’t implode when I saw these things, though they are quite impressively similar to the boots women are wearing around here, I give the American Girl Project Runway crew some props for that.

Speaking of the children, it appears kids put these things on and turn into the animal that their feet most resemble, which must be detrimental to the development of a secure identity (isn’t childhood hard enough?), and confusing for the family pets. Here we have a child who believes she is a bear.

As far as I remember (but I’ve only lived here for 25 years, what do I know?), Angelinos weren’t so big on killing things in the name of fashion. So why is it suddenly okay to put pink sheep on the endangered species list? Have you ever seen a pink sheep? Now you know why. Its lifeless pelt is stomping around at the Grove buying Victoria’s Secret sweatpants and iced blendeds at the Coffee Bean. Tell that to its orphaned pink baby lamb.

UGG and Emu Australia Footwear Cleaning and Conditioning

In regards to the care and cleaning of UGG and Emu Australia footwear, we would like to set forth the following guidelines for our sheepskin footwear.

DO NOT APPLY CLEANER & CONDITIONER DIRECTLY ONTO SHEEPSKIN FOOTWEAR

• Hand wash only. DO NOT use a washing machine.
• Moisten sheepskin footwear with clean, cold water.
• Wet entire boot when cleaning to ensure equal drying or you could end up with visible water lines.
• Dilute Cleaner & Conditioner with ½ water and ½ Cleaner & Conditioner.
• Apply a small amount of diluted Cleaner & Conditioner to a clean wet sponge. DO NOT apply Cleaner & Conditioner directly onto footwear.
• Gently scrub to clean entire area. Sheepskin has a delicate surface, which can be damaged if scrubbed aggressively, or with an undiluted concentration.
• Rinse clean in clean, cold water; wring out excess water; lightly stuff with paper towels to hold shape; allow to dry naturally and slowly. DO NOT dry in direct heat or sunlight.
• Once footwear is dry, lightly brush with a very soft suede/nubuck brush in one direction only.
• Use a mixture of 2 tsp. baking soda and 2 tsp. corn flour to deodorize and soften the inside of the boots. If you wish, you can add a few drops of an essential oil to create a sweet scent. Shake the mixture into the boots and let it stand overnight. Shake the excess out the next day.

To help prevent initial staining of sheepskin footwear, we recommend using the Water & Stain Repellent as directed on the bottle prior to wearing.

• Spray the sheepskin surface evenly until it appears wet, but not soaked.
• Let the boots dry naturally for at least 24 hours. DO NOT dry in direct heat or sunlight.
• Lightly brush in one direction with a very soft bristle suede/nubuck brush to raise the nap and natural tracking.
• Please note that when properly used, UGG Australia Water & Stain Repellent with a suede/nubuck brush will help to raise the nap and natural tracking.

Please note that when properly used, UGG™ Australia Water & Stain Repellent and Cleaner & Conditioner will help to prevent and/or remove/reduce stains. Like any fine garment, sheepskin is delicate and not all stains can be prevented or removed.

With proper care and cleaning, you can expect your footwear to last longer, but we in no way guarantee that it will remove all stains nor prevent stains from occurring.

UGG boots a Fasion Trend

Just when it seemed the holiday shopping season would be devoid of a must-have item — the kind that builds shopping enthusiasm and drives retail traffic — along came UGG Australia boots for women.

The only hitch: By the traditional shopping kickoff, nobody had any of the chic and shaggy sheepskin boots to sell.

Retailers didn’t see it coming and are sold out nearly everywhere. There won’t be more until February at the earliest — as late as June for the most popular styles and colors.

While the fleece-lined footwear has been around more than 25 years, UGGs increasingly have been seen this year on famous and fashion-forward feet — from Kate Hudson to Oprah Winfrey. Celebrity-driven trends often take off fast, leaving retailers scrambling to exploit them, but about the only place you’ll find these $90-to-$185 boots is the gotta-have-it last resort: eBay (though bids for the popular pink have approached $400 in some cases).

There have been shoe rushes before: Timberland (TBL) boots — the yellow, waterproof, ankle-high variety — were for hikers and utility workers until rap artists started sporting them and rapping about them.
But the rush for UGGs is in a class of its own.

“I can’t remember anything quite like this,” says Michael Atmore, editorial director at Footwear News. And, he says, “Anything in limited supply has an extra appeal because you feel lucky to get your hands on it, which adds to the frenzy.”

UGG Australia — a division of Goleta, Calif.-based Deckers Outdoor (DECK)— was named brand of the year by Atmore’s trade publication for its retail success as well as for the boots’ combination appeal as both a functional item and fashion trend.

Function gave them their start in the USA. They are a common style in Australia and known there generically as “Uggs.” Aussie surfer Brian Smith began selling them under the UGG Australia brand on the West Coast in 1978. The boots’ fleece lining breathes and wicks away heat and moisture to keep the feet dry and at body temperature. Surfers put them on to warm up from the water.

Now they are showing up on the feet of Sarah Jessica Parker, Hudson, Cameron Diaz and Sandra Bullock. Winfrey listed them among her favorite things, and ads showed up in O magazine. Magazine InStyle declared them in style.

While retailers seem to have been blindsided by the footwear’s sudden fashion status, an industry expert stops short of calling that a retailing failure, saying it was impossible to anticipate the surge for such a shapeless (but oh so comfortable) boot for women.

“One photograph can ‘metamorphosize’ a brand from dead to great. The fashion industry today is following the celebrity, and when that happens, the retailer has no control or clue of what tomorrow’s trend will be,” says Marshal Cohen, co-president of researcher NPD Fashionworld.

Another expert says the boot’s function helped fuel the trend. “No matter what the item is, if it has celebrity endorsement today, that’s enough to move it,” says David Wolfe at fashion consultant Doneger. “But Uggs are more than a fad because they are practical, and they are warm, and they are so funky.”
Retailers big and small were caught flat-footed.

The baby pink and baby blue ones, $99 at Nordstrom, sold out in September. The chain is now taking orders for spring delivery.

Squires Family Clothing & Footwear in Katonah, N.Y., is logging 150 phone calls a day from all over but is turning down orders for future delivery from callers outside Westchester County.

Even half-priced knockoffs at teen girl retailer Delia’s are gone (more to come in January), and Target’s $25 tan version is out.

Nordstrom has carried the full line, which includes men’s and women’s boots and slippers, since 1990, but demand this year is through the roof.

“We had indications last spring that this fashion trend was starting and that led us to buy aggressively, but the kind of increases we’re having is outstripping the aggressive buy,” says Scott Meden, lead women’s shoe buyer at Nordstrom.

He says everyone from the fashionista who has to have the latest look to a more mainstream customer is coming in for the boots. Hottest are the Ultra and Classic styles, as well as the Sundance, which is one of the main celebrity preferences.

“We’re going to run out, and we’re doing everything we can to get the bits available because someone has canceled an order,” Meden adds. His next shipment is due in April. New orders on Nordstrom.com are not being promised until June.

In fact, the boots are so popular that Nordstrom had a traveling display Nov. 22 through Saturday of a collection of custom-trimmed UGGs with decoration by celebrities Lucy Liu, Britney Spears and Anjelica Huston. They are being auctioned to benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and save-the-oceans effort Oceana.

Unfortunately for retailers, this out-of-nowhere hit is a double-edged sword. Sales momentum is being built by the buzz. But the lead time to make and deliver shoes — months longer than for apparel — means that demand can’t be met anytime soon.

“I was surprised that we sold out as early as we did. We usually sell out in November and December, but this craziness was so early,” says UGG Australia President Connie Rishwain.

The boots are still made in Australia, source of all of the sheepskin, and in New Zealand and Asia. UGG now is booking orders for February, March and April delivery, when it usually doesn’t handle the next year’s orders until July or August.

“By the time we sold out of boots at the end of September, I couldn’t get any more for Christmas,” Rishwain says. “Now, we’re selling them for spring, which is the first time that we’re selling for first- and second-quarter” delivery.

Why Ugg Boots are the Male Celebrity Must Have

Ugg Boots and Celebrity Demand

What we call Ugg boots first come into existence in the 1930s, as footwear meant for surfers and Australian sheepherders. Nowadays, however, it seems that the media equates Ugg boots and celebrities, with us normal Ugg fans overlooked. While it’s true that Uggs and celebrities do mix well, it’s wise to remember that the sheepskin shoes footwear was popular long before they came to the notice of celebrities like Paris Hilton and Pamela Anderson. The phenomenon of Uggs and celebrities is relatively recent, though of course the manufacturers can’t complain; even if it’s the “fad of the moment,” and Ugg boots and celebrities soon part ways, it surely can’t hurt sales.

When famous meets fashion

Uggs have been well regarded for decades for their unique combination of comfort, value and durability. But now that the famous have discovered them, Ugg boots and celebrities have become virtually synonymous. Famous folks brag of owning multiple pairs of sheepskin footwear, and celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Hudson have been photographed wearing them just about everywhere. The Uggs and celebrities connection has lessened in recent months, though they are still riding the high-fashion wave. For companies like Ugg Australia, the lessened emphasis on celebrities has led to the expansion of the brand line to include a greater range of footwear, as well as handbags, coats, vests, and the like – so it’s all good.

Ugg Boots and Celebrities: the Oprah connection

When Oprah Winfrey gave her thumbs-up to Uggs, she set off a craze for sheepskin boots, and celebrities everywhere took note. Fuzzy Fluff Mommas from Ugg Australia were especially popular, but styles for men and kids also got extra attention. In fact, Ugg Boots and celebrities have gotten so much attention that, since 2003, Uggs hand-painted by celebrities like Britney Spears and Billy Joel have been auctioned off on Ebay, with the proceeds going to charity. Now there’s an Ugg boots-and-celebrities combination that everyone can be proud of!

Will his/her look fit me?

Say you’re looking at one of the many images of Ugg boots and celebrities wearing them, and you’re wondering: will that look fit me? We can confidently state that it will. Ugg boots look great whether you’re wearing slacks, skirt, or jeans, and they’re not just for celebrities; they’re for everyone. Not only that, these sturdily-built sheepskin boots are so inexpensive that just about anyone can afford them. So don’t make the mistake of thinking the terms “Ugg boots” and “celebrities” are joined at the hip.

Why Ugg Boots and Celebrities get such attention

The short answer? Because celebrities are ultra-visible, and as such are trendsetters. People are going to notice whatever they wear, eat, or do. Without finding a pair and trying them on ourselves, how are we going to know what these boots look like in action? Fortunately, celebrities like Oprah and Jessica Simpson are considerate enough to do the tests for us, and aren’t shy about passing on the results!

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