I knew it had been a long time coming, but seeing UGG Australia advertised on Groupon last week confirmed my worst fear – the rule of the fluffy sheepskin boot is over. As winter approaches, I’ve seen many girls using their once beloved UGG boots as a Wellington boot replacement, complete with watermarks aplenty and a heel that is virtually nonexistent. It saddens me to see that what started as a symbol of ‘the rah’ has become a fad now dead in the water. How am I meant to survive winter without my newly unfashionable UGG boots? The answer, I fear, means I must take to the shops and let my bank account suffer in the name of pretty footwear.
I don’t want boots that scream ‘hitchhiker’, nor do I want some trendy affair that’ll guarantee my leg in a plaster cast by Christmas. After all, there is the practical aspect of walking to consider. Most of the time I’m running late, and throwing myself down the road in the hope of making it at a reasonable hour doesn’t sound good with the inevitable blisters that come with new boots. A limp doesn’t go well with anything. Winter similarly spells ice, more ice and some black ice for good measure; so if you’re hunting like I am, avoid Primark and the slippery soles that accompany the high street shop.
I may be guilty of playing it safe – after all, UGG boots were my staple and screamed mainstream – but I feel like the new ‘it’ boot courtesy of River Island is just too edgy for me. By all means, the black chunky buckle cut out boots are cool and I’m in no way disputing that… it’s just I think my grandma would claim that it looks like I can only afford enough material for half a shoe because of the sock-exposing gaps. Aside from my lack of a plausible grunge image, I couldn’t buy these shoes at £45 a pop knowing that they will inevitably get covered in grit and salt. It would be too heartbreaking to ruin them. UGG boots are different: they are so comfy that the killer price tag seems justifiable. After walking on clouds for two years, just looking at the bondage-like contraption of buckles makes my feet twitch.
Every year I stare at Hunter wellies in the hope that one day a pink pair will magically appear in my wardrobe. This is the third year that it hasn’t happened, and I still feel a little disappointed. The downside of buying wellies as preferred footwear is that you’re either stuck wearing them all day or you have to bring a second pair of shoes to change into. When I have all my books with me I could see carrying additional shoes being highly impractical, and although I want to buy a pair at some point, this isn’t the winter to do so unless I’m forced to plough through waist-deep snow. By that point, the whole concept of the Wellington boot seems redundant anyway.
The logical compromise seems to be the fashionable, reliable Chelsea boot. In my opinion, it ticks all the boxes for daily life at university. I don’t need them to help me scale Kilimanjaro; I do need them to not fall apart and look decent if I fancy a casual cocktail or two. My favourite pair is Topshop’s MONTH Chelsea boots, matching River Island’s price tag of £45 but looking less creeper-esque and a lot more wearable. What’s more, almost anyone (i.e. me) could rock these boots without seeming like too much of a try-hard.
While I can’t say I’m happy that my UGG boots are now lame, I feel like these are the boots that would help to mend my broken heart. Granted, on a particularly lazy day I may revert back to the old ways of the UGG (old habits die hard) but honestly, the world has moved on. They can be stored in my wardrobe until they fall out of disuse so much that they’re socially acceptable to wear again. Here’s to hoping that outrageously furry socks fit underneath Chelsea boots without peeping out of the top. Otherwise, the whole of campus will be treated to my novelty Christmas socks a month too early – and possibly odd socks at that.
Image Sources:
Picture 1: http://gabrielegzimailaite.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/dscf6056.jpg
Picture 2: http://riverisland.scene7.com/is/image/RiverIsland/639594_main?$hero$
Picture 3: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2vLy6m0F4G0/TblcxVak10I/AAAAAAAADlA/o8p4c24eMIM/s400/Hunter-Wellies.jpg
Picture 4: http://media.topshop.com/wcsstore/TopShop/images/catalog/42Y14EBLK_large.jpg
By Sophie Batty