Over the years, Ugg boots have suffered a bit of an identity crisis. The brand originally began as a shoe for surfers, but as soon as the Aussie label became a hit Stateside about a decade ago, they were everywhere: on celebrities, on bare-legged California girls who paired them with denim miniskirts, on #coolteens strolling the mall after school, on moms wearing Juicy tracksuits. You get the picture.
But, since the Ugg backlash began a few years later, the brand hasn’t been able to revive the boots’ original cool factor. Despite collabs with It-girls like Langley Fox-Hemingway and endorsements from industry big shots like André Leon Talley, plenty of people still can’t fathom slipping their feet back into the slouchy shearling boots (in public, anyway).
Clearly, British Vogue feels differently, because the magazine just published a glowing endorsement heralding “The Return of the Ugg Boot.” Rather than relegating your Uggs to padding-around-the-apartment wear, the editors recommend embracing the shoes’ inherent basic-ness and wearing them proudly. They even offer a five-step guide on how to sport them (including pairing them with no makeup, a tuxedo shirt, and even with fishnet tights).
The editors go so far as to compare Uggs to Birkenstocks: “Last summer marked our reintroduction to the ugly shoe — the Birkenstock, the heavyweight flatform, and the cumbersome trainer all made their wicked way into our wardrobes and offered a devil-may-care kind of glamour. Perhaps, then, it is only natural that the Ugg boot make a return.” (Vogue)