BP7: UGG-ly…

‘Sup? Hope you all are doin’ well and staying safe. Once again, thanks for the support on my last post, an intellectually stimulating piece on the Angled Bob, aka the Can I Speak to the Manager? haircut. After looking over previous posts, I have come to the self-realization that I am usually against the trends I highlight making a comeback. Boy, today’s is no exception, you can bet your boots on it.

This week’s 2000’s trainwreck, ahem, I mean, trend is… Drumroll please….. brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr….. UGG Boots.

I can just smell the scent of a Caramel Frappuccino wafting from this picture. Or maybe is it… a Pumpkin Spice latte? Omg, wait no… not the Pink Drink! My heart can’t take it! Well, regardless of which Starbucks drink I smell, one cannot deny the influence of UGG boots on fashion, especially in the teenage girl age group. But where exactly did these boots originate? To find the answer, look to Brian Smith, who had an absolute obsession with sheepskin. In 1978, Smith, originally from Australia, decided to move to the United States to expand the shoe horizons of Americans. Boots… with sheepskin? A concept! No shade meant, Mr. Smith. Originally, UGGs were meant for the chill surfer style, but eventually made their way to mainstream culture, as well. One of the main reasons? It rhymes with Hope-rah Shin-frey.

That’s right, ladies and gents. Oprah Winfrey catapulted the sheepskin boots into the limelight in 2000 by featuring them on the Oprah’s Favorite Things segment of her talk show. You get a pair, you get a pair! After the appearance, the brand shifted its target demographic from surfers to suburbanites and spenders, blending casual and formal-wear. (Are they really formal? A little up for debate, but we’ll let that slide…) Not soon after, the shift saw an increase of celebrities donning the boots, like Beyonce, supermodel Kate Moss, and the Princess of Pop who apparently runs faster than Usain Bolt, Britney Spears.

Let us take a look back, shall we, at those who thought that UGGs were the right shoes to complete their outfit that day. Tell me when I can open my eyes.

Ashley Tisdale, honey, the fact that the UGG boots are NOT the only piece of clothing wrong in this picture, that is a sign. The “Thou Shalt Spend” is too poetic, though. Also, the UGG/shorts combo deserve their own blog post, and not in a good way. But hey, these boots seem to be for everyone, guys included, seen on Jason Segel in I Love You, Man (2009).

UGG boots reached their peak in 2007, earning the company around $348 million that year. However, one cannot have too much of a good thing. The sheepskin creations began their downfall in 2011, as many felt that they needed to give their UGGs the “boot,” landing the shoes on multiple “trends that need to disappear” lists.

However, the boot brand is still up and running, with UGG sales reaching $1.5 billion just two years ago. Although some worry for the brand’s future, it seems as though UGGs aren’t completely going away just yet. A Google Trends search shows that UGG boots still have popularity surges every December; Christmas season (albeit, not as much as the 2000’s). Questions that pop into my head? Who is still buying these and why? I would like a 1,000-word response, typed, ready to send, thank you.

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The time has come… Should UGG Boots make a comeback in the ’20s?

It seems like it’s probably pretty easy to sense my stance on UGGs, so let’s just get straight into it.

I am torn. I actually feel that some styles of UGG boots can look nice, especially when paired with the right clothing. However, UGG boots, like those shown in the main photo above, have got to go. These boots also remind me of something that took me quite a while to pinpoint. What was my ultimate conclusion, you ask? Horse hooves. Neigh, I say. Seabiscuit has been real quiet since seeing these boots.

Adding my own personal anecdote, UGGs just exert, exhibit, and exude Abercrombie and Fitch shopping bags and duck lip selfie energy. I’ll admit, I was in late middle school/early high school when I really saw these boots being popular, but I can’t seem to shake those images from my head when looking at them.

But, don’t just only take my word for it! What do y’all think, are these boots made for walkin’? Totally let me know in the comments below. Stay tuned for the next 2000’s trend to examine, I’m sure it’ll be a real scream. Toodles!

SOURCES:

• Butler-Young, Sheena. “Ugg Sales Hit $1.5 Billion, But Wall Street Is Still Worried About Its Future.” Footwear News, 25 May 2018.
• Kapner, Suzanne. “The shoe that won’t quit.” Fortune, 5 June 2008.
• Nguyen, Diana. “Tracking: The Rise and Fall of the Ugg Boot in Recent Fashion History.” E!, 1 February 2016.
• “The Story of UGG.” UGG.
• White, Adam. “Britney Spears clarifies she isn’t faster than Usain Bolt following Instagram confusion.” The Independent, 27 March 2020.