Popularity of this comfy books continues with younger set.
By LAUREN PADILLA
Longmeadow High
Nearly all of today’s fashion trends barely last beyond a couple of seasons. There is, however, one major exception: Ugg boots. Somehow, the terrible line of furry footwear has managed to outlive even the most enduring styles of the last few years. When I was in fifth grade, Uggs were the last word in shoes; six years later, they remain a force to be reckoned with. But, why? Just why do Uggs continue to thrive in 2014?
Yet, like sweets, they are also highly addictive — wear a sweatshirt once, and you never want to wear a blazer again. Though most of us have the sense to realize daily comfort clothing is not healthy, there are some who refuse to acknowledge it. They buy one pair of Uggs to wear as slippers; the slippers turn into weekend-wear, which in turn leads the purchase of more Uggs. Before they know it, Uggs are the only shoes in their closets…the horror.
Uggs have an established target market. Although Ugg boots undeniably appeal to almost every age group, right now they seem to be the most popular amongst pre-teens and younger teenagers. In high school, there is much more freedom as far as footwear goes. It is perfectly acceptable for a high school girl to wear a heeled boot or a pointed-toe flat. In middle school, what is age-appropriate tends to be more complicated.
Many parents are not comfortable having their pre-teen wear anything more than a modest kitten-heel. Therefore, Uggs seem like a happy compromise. Parents can rest assured knowing their daughters are not sporting scandalous footwear, and the girls, in turn, can feel fashionable. As an added bonus, Uggs are not obscenely expensive, at least when compared to the true designer shoes (Jimmy Choo, Ferragamo, etc.), especially considering most girls will wear the boots almost every day.
Anti-fur activists have been relatively lenient. For whatever reason, PETA and other animal-rights groups are quite forgiving when it comes to accessories; if the activists threw paint onto every Ugg boot-wearer in America, there would be a severe shortage of paint in the United States. Although it is a commonly-known fact that fleece lined Ugg boots are in fact, sheepskin, there still remains a large portion of the population that remains ignorant.
Though at the moment Uggs’ popularity does not seem to be declining noticeably, I do believe that in a few more years they will be completely and utterly passé. Especially with the revival of the equestrian boot, it appears as though Uggs’ time in the spotlight is coming to a close (at least the traditional fur boot). We’ll remember Uggs in the future as a major trend of the early 21st century, but I truly believe, like 1980s prom dresses and mullets, some styles are best left in the past.