Uggs put best foot forward, become a wardrobe staple

By TRINE TSOUDEROS

Associated Press

FOOT WARMER: This classic short sheepskin boot is not only cozy and furry, but it has also become one of the hottest must-have fashion items for many women this season.

Despite overexposure and a cooled-off economy, the foot-warming boots remain popular.

CHICAGO — It was lunchtime on a recent weekday, and Chicago’s Michigan Avenue Nordstrom store was grimly recession-quiet — except for one spot: the Ugg section of the shoe department.

There, it was frenzied. Women filled every seat, pulling on and off the warm, iconic sheepskin boots; stacks of giant Ugg boxes were scattered about.

Having grown sick of frozen toes, I bought a pair too. I love them. My now-warm toes love them too.

How did Decker Outdoor Corp., the California-based company that makes Uggs, do it? Somehow, Decker, which is celebrating the brand’s 30th anniversary this year, managed the triple Lutz of branding: becoming a fad that doesn’t fade in the inevitable backlash.

Five years ago, it seemed every issue of People magazine had photos of Pamela Anderson, Kate Hudson, Liv Tyler, Brooke Shields, Sienna Miller, Jennifer Aniston or any other celeb sporting a pair of the boots. They were at Sundance in the snow, in New York behind a stroller, in L.A. on the set of a movie.

Sarah Jessica Parker wore a custom-made pair of ruby red ones in “Sex and The City.” Oprah put them on her favorite things list in 2000, 2003, 2005 and 2007.

From trend to staple

You would think such overexposure would kill Uggs, and for a while, fashionable people did groan when the name was mentioned. But somehow, Uggs have made the transition from trendy to wardrobe staple.

Take a look at the blog I Got Uggs (www.igotuggs.com), and you’ll find scores of recent photos of the famous and not-so-famous wearing the boots, years after they were a hit. This month alone, I Got Uggs posted photos of Ashley Tisdale, Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Simpson, Avril Lavigne, Lily Allen, Beyonce, Michelle Williams and daughter Matilda, Isla Fisher and daughter Olive, Kristin Davis, and Kate Hudson all wearing Uggs, years after they were a hit.

“We hate the word trendy,” said Kristen Tomason, brand spokeswoman. “We would want to stay away from that word.”

Real money maker

Mohamed Ibrahim, who now makes more cash on his I Got Uggs blog than he does as a New York City schoolteacher, offered some insight on the boots’ staying power.

“It’s the way they look,” Ibrahim said. “They have this special appeal.”

And let’s not forget my now-warm toes.

So the trend has become a staple — and a recession-proof one at that, Tomason said.

“You have to stay warm,” she said, adding that sales are not down despite the bad economy. “It is going to snow regardless.”