I always thought I was too good for UGGs. I grew up in Los Angeles and went to a girls’ school where all the popular kids wore the classic boot with rolled-up khaki-uniform skirts and white polos. Why was anyone in sunny Southern California wearing sheepskin shoes? They were ugly and impractical. I was happy with my pink Chuck Taylors.
(This was the early 2000s, by the way. UGGs were ubiquitous. You’d see them on Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, the Olsen twins — just about every female celebrity of a certain age embraced them. Now, they’re not even basic anymore. They’re just UGGs.)
I am careening toward my 40th birthday and all I want to be is comfortable. My feet are perpetually icy. My husband got me a pair of sheepskin slippers from Overland a few Christmases ago and I can’t imagine life without them. My Blundstones are the ones with a sheepskin footbed. This winter, I splurged on a shearling jacket. I started noticing stylish women (e.g., Chloë Seivgny) wearing UGGs, and I finally admitted that I wanted a pair too. Plus, I’d been looking for winter-appropriate slip-ons for running errands.
But not necessarily a boot. What repelled me about the classic style was how dumb it looked. A bulbous foot leads up to a spineless shaft whose slouch reads extremely sloppy and unrefined. But then I started seeing UGGs with the tiniest of shafts. The hooflike toe box looked downright dainty on these. The proportions were all wrong but so right. I loved the concession to ankles. They would always be exposed, but your entire foot would still be ensconced in warmth.
During a Strategist store visit, I tried on both the Classic Mini and the Classic Ultra Mini, even though deep down I knew the Ultras were for me. I actually left with a pair of Minis, because that’s what everyone else liked better. I should have listened to my gut. They stayed unworn for a month because I was still thinking about the ones I left behind. They were also slightly too big. (Word to the wise: Size down in any of the boot styles.) I sheepishly emailed the very accommodating publicist and asked if I could do an exchange.
The Ultra Minis arrived and I put them on immediately. Surprisingly, they work quite well as house shoes because of the shorter shaft (1.5 inches from the top of the foot compared to 3 inches on the Minis). They were so cozy that I almost didn’t want to dirty them by wearing them outside.
For dignity’s sake, I only plan to wear them in the neighborhood or on weekends; a part of me still believes that UGGs are not meant to be real shoes. They look phenomenal with slim sweatpants and leggings (but never jeans) — the hems of which barely brush the top of the Ultras. And they’re best without socks: A sliver of ankle will have to contend with the elements.
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