Cuddly or just plain UGG-ly?

When I was thinking of what brand I would write a blog on for this website I thought about the brands of my generation like Abercrombie & Fitch, Juicy Couture etc. I then peered down at my clothes to get some muse. I was wearing work clothes as I was on work experience at the time – Plain white Pennys top, Black Pennys cardi, white A&F vest top, white and silver dessert scarf and black UGGs. So, Why did I decide to wear uggs to work on this particular morning?

For the past week I had been getting the bus to work. I’d walk to the bus stop, wait for the bus, ride the bus for 20 minutes, walk around sandyford industrial estate, go up the lift and walk to the office where I’d sit on my comfy rotating desk chair. And then repeat this in reverse to go home each day. In pumps!

I love pumps, wear them everywhere. They keep me small (I’ve always been very tall for my age!), look pretty and are very suitable for work.. but for walking around an industrial estate? Ouch. For the third day of my work experience I was late for the bus, so I speed-walked to get there. When I got off the bus, I had to speed-walk miles in twenty minutes with my toes gripping onto my shoes so they wouldn’t fall off at every step I took. That night, I had ballet class and to my surprise I couldn’t even point my toe or ‘relevé’ without my whole calf cramping up. So, I spent the class stretching out my legs. I knew it was time to change my shoe-type.

So, today I chose a pair that I knew would look good and comfy at the same time..my UGGs! UGGs were a huge craze last year in Dublin, so now I’m ‘soo last year’ when I wear them, But walking to work today was a dream. Like those days of getting home from work or school feeling sickly, cold and tired.. all you have to do is snuggle up in a pair of UGGs and sit in front of the gas fire.. okay a bit of a cliqué but you get the point, don’t you? – they’re comfy!

Lots of people disagree completely with me and believe that UGG stands for ugly – i.e., are the ugliest shoes they have ever seen, and while I’m open to critisizm, I have to disagree. I believe that most of the people who complain about this brand have never felt their cushiony softness..

In Ireland, they are only seen on girls of ages from 12yrs – 20yrs (although you do get some older people wearing this brand although them look like they are having a middle age crisis!). In Australia, they are worn by boys as well and If our Irish white-skinned boys can’t accept the fact that AUSTRALIAN TANNED MEN can wear them, this shows how manly they are!

In Dublin, UGGs are known to be ‘D4-ish’ (Dublin stereotype of rich people), but I wear them and I have a complete mix of genres of friends from nerds to rockers to poshys to knackers – some love them and some hate them. The point is I love them and the feeling of the pure sheep wool on my feet in the Irish winter! Ooh wow.. =]


Kathryn, Dublin, Ireland