Uggs- what are your thoughts?

[donnamp14]

Hi Everyone,

I am in need of boots for winter, and we're also going to Eastern Europe in January for a week or so. I have been hating "Uggs" as a fashion statement (I work on a college campus) but I am wondering if they're really warm? What do you think? I'm considering the mini in chocolate. My feet are wide, so I am wondering how they'll fit.

Good investment? ($103.95 on Zappos, a site I've never used)

Thanks!
-Donna

[SusanMac]

I think they're super cute. And definitely warm. And comfortable for something like a vacation w/lots of walking

But...totally over priced IMO :-)

I do, however, think they'll be 'in' for a while. I mean, they've been in for ages in California.

[Laura]

I love, love, love my Uggs. I bought them 10 years ago when I first moved to Jackson Hole and wear them all the time. They hold up incredibly well and are very warm. Best clothing investment ever.

Mine are the tall black classic. My DD bought the short brown boots and says they look more stained than mine do, but I saw them this past week and didn't think they looked bad.

[aggie94]

Can't comment on the Uggs, but I have been a Zappos customer for a long time. Their free shipping is FAST, and their return process (which is also free) couldn't be easier. I usually order the shoes I want in two sizes and return the ones I don't end up keeping - super fast and easy, I have no complaints with them!

[avariell]

when i was a freshman at the university of wisconsin (freezing my butt off, walking to class) my dad got me a pair of tall uggs. i was humiliated because i found them so hideously ugly. but i LOVE them. i do not think they are overpriced simply because the same pair i have from 1997 is still going strong (seems worth the $200 or so they cost at the time). i now have about 5 pairs for varying degrees of warmth/use (some have softer soles than others - if you are going to be walking a lot outside, i would be sure to get the ones with hard rubber soles).
my boots got me through several winters in wisconsin and minnesota and tons of my brother's college football games in northern indiana (which about killed me cold-wise).

i would seriously endorse uggs to anyone who would listen (i feel similarly about ecco boots if you need something truly waterproof) :)

[Robyn1007]

Well, I'm on the opposite side of the spectrum. I think their hideous, wouldn't be caught dead in them. Sorry. I would go with something like these examples personally:

http://usaimages.wolverineworldwide.com/bulk/2007/2/14/MRL-W86915_16-06.psd.fpx?cell=260,226&qlt=80&rgn=-0.0665742399553471,0,1.15044247787611,1&cvt=jpeg

http://content.nordstrom.com/ImageGallery/store/product/MediumLarge/12/_5487592.jpg

http://content.nordstrom.com/ImageGallery/store/product/MediumLarge/9/_5194389.jpg

[avariell]

robyn - they have added some styles that you might find cuter (trust me, i do not wear them cuz i think they look adorable):

http://www.uggaustralia.com/images/products/AllColorCombos/5571-CIGR-PROD.jpg

http://www.uggaustralia.com/images/products/AllColorCombos/5498-OTT-PROD.jpg


i did just buy these which i think are adorable :D

http://www.uggaustralia.com/images/products/AllColorCombos/5131-COF-PROD.jpg

[Laura]

Well, I'm on the opposite side of the spectrum. I think their hideous, wouldn't be caught dead in them. Sorry. I would go with something like these examples personally:

http://usaimages.wolverineworldwide.com/bulk/2007/2/14/MRL-W86915_16-06.psd.fpx?cell=260,226&qlt=80&rgn=-0.0665742399553471,0,1.15044247787611,1&cvt=jpeg

http://content.nordstrom.com/ImageGallery/store/product/MediumLarge/12/_5487592.jpg

http://content.nordstrom.com/ImageGallery/store/product/MediumLarge/9/_5194389.jpg

See, I think the UGGS are more attractive. But it is all relative I guess. I don't find any snow boot particularly attractive, but that is not why I wear them. I went through a couple of different pairs before I bought my UGGs and nothing compared in terms of warmth and durability. I have a toe that was frost bitten with some other pair that I had bought, and it never bothers me with my UGGs.

[seathyme]

Donna, are you still in Metrowest? I bought a pair of Uggs at Panza Shoes in Framingham about 8-9 years ago; they are still my favorite snow boots. Mid-calf tan color with very warm fleecy lining. Even if you order from Zappo's, you might be able to try some on at Panza's. Just a thought.

[scudgal]

Donna - I don't have a pair of the Uggs boots but do have the clogs and they are very warm and comfortable. I heard that you can't wear the boots in snow or on ice - but now I'm wondering if that's incorrect. I would love to get a pair for the cold Massachusetts winters. I have a friend who has them and she loves them.

Leslie

[whocares]

Another happy Zappos user here. I don't have any experience with Uggs, but am also contemplating the purchase of winter boots since we are in the midst of a move to New York. I have my eye on some of the La Canadienne styles, which are sold on Zappos. My daughter has a pair of La Canadienne and they have kept her feet dry, warm and comfortable over the past two winters. The styles range from pretty basic to trendy.

Have fun on your trip.

[Laura]

Donna - I don't have a pair of the Uggs boots but do have the clogs and they are very warm and comfortable. I heard that you can't wear the boots in snow or on ice - but now I'm wondering if that's incorrect. I would love to get a pair for the cold Massachusetts winters. I have a friend who has them and she loves them.

Leslie

I am wondering if there is a problem with wet, slushy snow. As I said, I bought mine when I first lived in Jackson Hole, WY and now live in CO. They have seen a lot of snow. :)

[avariell]

I am wondering if there is a problem with wet, slushy snow. As I said, I bought mine when I first lived in Jackson Hole, WY and now live in CO. They have seen a lot of snow. :)

ditto - mine survived the salted sidewalks and dirty slush of walking to class daily... kept my feet warm and dry. i have never worried about wearing mine (i guess i wouldn't stand in ankle-deep water and expect my feet to stay dry).

[momqat]

I love these boots I saw at the Kittery Trading Post site (http://www.kitterytradingpost.com/product.php/prodid/13014)

http://www.kitterytradingpost.com/getdata.php/image_id/83175

[engineer]

Have to agree - no fan of uggs. Being in northern MN just south of all the butt of all Canadian cold jokes (winnipeg) I have to say that I have some Sorrells that use comfortemp insulation that are so snuggly warm at -40F that I don't know what I'd do without them. As for DH he swears by his Steger Arctic Mukluks. In fact a couple of years ago he was back in Ely and they were astonished as he has some of the very first Artic's called Artic Blues. He's mushed in them in CO and MN and says except for turning where you drag a heel he's never even felt cool in them.

Here's the link since I seem to be photo challenged today:rolleyes:
http://www.mukluks.com/arctic.shtml

[cas]

Love them especially the tall black uggs. They look great with jeans too. My daughter has 2 pairs one wore out in the toe area in about 6 months and they replaced them without a problem. I think the run a little big though. They definitely keep my feet warm and are great for doing a lot of walking not sure how they would hold up walking through a lot of snow though.

[donnamp14]

WOW! Thanks, everyone.

Yes, Seathyme, I am still in Ashland, so I'll head to Panza's and see what they have. I would like to try them on.

Thanks, Engineer, I'll send DH the link. He's been looking for boots, too!

I think I'll take the plunge. No one here will confuse me with the female students who wear their Uggs with super-short minis in the snow! ;)

Here comes the winter....

Thanks, everyone!

-Donna

[Gracie]

Is Panza's someplace that a shoe lover in MA needs to know about? :D

I have the North Face boots Robyn posted. They are very warm but very heavy and stiff. They were one of my very best bargains - $14 from REI clearance after season instead of $100+ at Macy's now! :cool:

DD has Uggs and they seem more comfortable especially for doing a lot of walking.

Loren

[donnamp14]

Loren- Panza's is in downtown Framingham. I live about 5 miles away, and have never been there. :o They usually have an ad in the Sunday Globe. My friend from Winchester drives her mother there for very narrow shoes. If I head over this weekend, I'll give you a full report!

-Donna

[seathyme]

Panza's is known for stocking unusual sizes. I lived in Framingham for a few years before going in, and then wished I'd checked it out right away. It's unassuming on the outside and full of high quality shoes inside. After this plug, I hope they still have Uggs, Donna -- it's been a long time since I got mine there!

[seathyme]

Have to agree - no fan of uggs. Being in northern MN just south of all the butt of all Canadian cold jokes (winnipeg) I have to say that I have some Sorrells that use comfortemp insulation that are so snuggly warm at -40F that I don't know what I'd do without them. As for DH he swears by his Steger Arctic Mukluks. In fact a couple of years ago he was back in Ely and they were astonished as he has some of the very first Artic's called Artic Blues. He's mushed in them in CO and MN and says except for turning where you drag a heel he's never even felt cool in them.

Here's the link since I seem to be photo challenged today:rolleyes:
http://www.mukluks.com/arctic.shtml

Definitely would not expect my Uggs to hold up in -40 or for mushing.:p In these cases I would absolutely defer to engineer! But snow and ice and typical winter in MA have been no problem.

[breadmama]

I've been polling my friends at school for their advice - all favorable for Uggs. One said there was a deal at Bloomingdales online if you bought two pairs - she and her DD got a great deal that way.

I was interested to read everyone's opinions - thanks!

[jmarie]

You CANT' Beat zappos for their service!

I have had my UGGS for about 8 years and love their warmth. They aren't the prettiest thing I put on my feets, but they serve their purpose.

[gabbyh]

I'm married to an Aussie...so hopefully he won't see this thread :D

I hate them, but my husband grew up in them and LOVES them...of course every time he sees them, he has to fully examine them to make sure they are the "real thing"...and it's just so strange for me to see people walking around in them in South Florida...when I grew up in PA, and know what it's really like to have cold feet:D

There are lots of on-line places that you can get them, I think www.uggaustralia.com is really good; and I just found these...which I may even wear:

http://www.uggaustralia.com/images/products/ProductsList/5833-rum-PROD.jpg

[CompassRose]

As with Crocs, they have become so idiotically and inappropriately fashionable, I cannot stand the sight of them. I would certainly never allow them near my body, in case anyone thought that I'd been reading too much US magazine and atrophied my brain.

There are plenty of other ugly boots that are excellent in ice and cold weather, and which stupid teenagers don't pair with miniskirts in August. I like my Sorels.

[donnamp14]

Leslie- You are correct- they are not waterproof. Thanks for the heads-up! I think I need something waterproof, with all the snow-to-rain storms we seem to have around here.

I got this from an Aussie website:

Are sheepskin footwear waterproof?

No sheepskin footwear manufacturer can claim ugg boots are waterproof if they are made from genuine sheepskin - a soft leather. However, it takes a fair bit of moisture to penetrate through the skin (usually about 2-3 millimetres) and then through to the wool. We used to trade in a market and in the winter, our boots used to be soaked on the outside but were still dry on the inside. However, much longer in the wet and they would have been soaked on the inside too. The only way to have waterproof sheepskin boots is to have a shoe made of some sort of waterproofed material which is then lined with sheepskin. But when you see these, usually they are lined with wool woven onto a netted backing and not genuine sheepskin. And the netting/wool wears out quickly so it's not the same quality. You can spray the sheepskin with a Scotchguard (or similar) waterproofing product but this is really only to stop the odd bit of moisture. And you have to re-do this after they have been wet (and after they have dried).

If the snow is dry then you can wander around in them but if it's wet and slushy then the best thing is gumboots with maybe some sheepskin inner soles.

Many other retailers may tell you otherwise, but if their boots are made from genuine sheepskin (a soft leather) with no other layer on the outside of the skin, then the boots will get wet.

[boisewinesnob]

http://www.uggaustralia.com/images/products/AllColorCombos/5571-CIGR-PROD.jpg



I have never been a boot-wearer. But I think these are really cute! thanks for posting :)

[moonbeam]

I am also not a fan of Uggs. I bought a pair several years ago and found that they really didn't hold up to slush for me, and my feet were cold! Also, because they only came in whole sizes, they were a bit sloppy on my feet, and one sock would always come off in my boot as I was walking.

[Davey]

Zappos is probably the best shoe site on the internet. And, as far as the Uggs go, I am really not a fan, but it's whether you like them or not.

[Beth Y]

I have never gotten Uggs cause my feet have a tendency to sweat sometimes and I am worried that they would get nasty smelling quick. Can you wash them? How do you keep the insides clean?