UGG Boots
,
puffy, calf-high boots made of sheepskin suede and lined with woolen
fleece, have become wildly popular in the last ten years. Although worn
by all ages and both genders,
UGGS are predominantly popular among young women in their tweens, teens, and twenties. Consequently,
UGG Boots have become considered a feminine item. And, as with any feminine clothing, men are reluctant to wear them.
The strange thing about this is that is a complete fashion role reversal for
UGGs.
UGG Boots, by that name, and been around for almost a hundred years. By different names, the basic design of
UGGs has been around for thousands of years. And all that time, up until about 2000, they were considered a masculine item.
The fighter pilots and bomber crews for World War I and World War II wore
UGG Boots
in their airplanes for warmth. Back then, airplanes did not yet have
pressurized cabins to keep in air and warmth, and at high altitudes,
the air got cold¡ªvery cold. During these times,
UGGs were considered not just masculine items, but soldier¡¯s gear.
During the 1930s,
UGG Boots
became popular among male farmers and ranchers in Australia, where the
warm boots were useful cold nights in the desert and the mild
Australian winters. During the 1950s and 1960s,
UGGs
became a fashionable item among West Coast surfers and swimmers to keep
their feet warm while taking a break from the cold waters of the
Pacific. And, of course,
UGG Boots have long been popular with cold-weather athletes, such as skiers, sleders, and snowboarders.
As
UGGs
moved into the fashion mainstream in the last ten years, however,
they¡¯ve become associated with women, mainly due to female celebrities
such as Oprah Winfrey wearing and recommending them.
