downunder update

I love my Uggs. They have been imbued, over time, with a warm and tolerantly friendly persona. They hug my toes in the morning, greet me when I arrive home flustered from the city crowds, and they stand guard over me as I sleep.

The soft merino lining (see the cutaway) keep my feet warm in winter and cool in summer. What more could any foot want?

It’s often been said that “Ugg” is an abbreviation for “ugly”, but the Ugg Boot is a thing of beauty.

An Ugg is more like a sock than a shoe, soft and fleecy inside, yet rugged enough for outdoor wear, and another example of our wonderfully adaptable Australian accessories.

When worn with jeans and a checkered flannelette shirt, men can effortlessly convey an image of masculine strength combined with New Age sensitivity, and when worn by women, the Ugg Boot demonstrates the desirable feminine attributes of cuddliness, warmth, and practicality.

Worn indoors or out, on the beach, the shopping centre or the ski resort, the versatile Ugg Boot is a whimsical, yet strikingly elegant, fashion statement.

Retro Uggs and Celebs

Double-dyed long black lace-up Ugg Boots, once de rigeur for hippies and nowadays usually found on the top of old wardrobes, (mine included), are returning as a tribute to the versatility of this must- have fashion icon.

Keep your eye out for celebrities in these retro Uggs.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Winslet are dedicated Ugg wearers. Kate teams her Uggs with a padded Ski Jacket in the Man from Snowy River style, the ideal choice for singing round the campfire when you find yourself above the snowline. And you never know when that can happen. Be prepared.

You can also spot Uggs on the feet of such drongoes paragons of mindless fashion as Paris Hilton and Britney Spears.

Ugg Science

For the scientifically-minded reader, allow me to explain that sheepskin is thermostatic by nature, and the fleece lining keeps feet comfortable in all weather eliminating the need for socks altogether.

In the cold temperatures of the mountains, the fleece works as an insulating layer of warmth and keeps the body heat inside of the boot. In the scorching heat of the dusty plains or the sultry weight of the Monsoon season, the wool fibres keep the air circulating, thus drawing the perspiration away from your skin.

For the beauty conscious, keep in mind that sheepskin contains lanolin, just think - with every step you take, your feet are being moisturised!

So there you have it, warm dry feet with soft skin like a baby. Perfect.

Australians have been wearing a home-made Ugg style since European colonisation and there are several Australian companies which have been manufacturing Ugg Boots on a large scale since before the First World War. Despite this, the trademark is now owned by an American Company called “Ugg Australia”.

So beware! Our very own Ugg Boots must now be called Australian Sheepskin Boots.

Bugger that for a joke.