Uggs are soft, comfortable and functional, too!

I received a knock-off pair of natural-colored Uggs as part of a going-away present a little more than a year ago from this writing. That was when Uggs were hot-hot-hot and people were shelling out hundreds of dollars and putting their names on waiting lists to get a pair, so just getting anything that even remotely resembled a pair of fashionable boots was very much appreciated (I'm about a year behind, sometimes longer, fashion-wise, although I do look at what the *stars* are wearing in the latest gossip magazines)!!!

Well, guess what happened to the knock-offs: they started to fall apart. Literally, they started to come undone. A long, heavy thread started to undo itself (actually, a certain pussycat [who shall remain nameless] of ours kind of helped it along...I caught her diving into my boot and playing with it) and as a result, the sole started to detach from one side of the boot, leaving a big hole in it.

I decided to finally throw in the credit card and buy a REAL pair of Uggs, so I looked for a bargain and found it on Ebay. Lucky for me, Uggs are just beginning to be pretty much passe if they aren't already, so the prices have gone back to normal (they usually cost around $100) and bargains can even be found. I got a brand new pair of advertised as authentic Ugg Classic Short boots for $70 in Baby Blue. Shipping was an extra $10.

A couple of days later (as the seller was located one state over), my Uggs arrived and I was literally chirping with glee. They were in an authentic Uggs box with a little booklet showing 20-something nymphettes prancing around in mini skirts on the beach. Feeling kinda old at that point, I threw the booklet away. The Uggs were a lovely 50s-ish shade of pale baby blue with a light-medium grey sole. The outside of the boots are the supple backing of the shearling and a matte suede-type of finish. They have nice coordinating heavier thread stitching in matching baby blue heavy thread and a sort of woven, mid-weight corded fabric around the top "rim" and the bottom (where the sheepskin footbed meets the sole). The soles themselves are a very lightweight material called EVA and have a nice, deep tire-tread pattern and the Ugg logo imprinted into it. On the back of the boot (the heel) is an attached (stiched on) label in a satiny white material with the Ugg Austrailia logo on it. The inside of the boot is a lovely dyed-to-match cloud-soft shearling. I think I might have been drooling when I was looking at them, I don't remember, but it's a big possibility. I oohed and aahed in delight and couldn't wait to slip my big fat naked size 10 Hobbit feet into those babies.

Well, I finally took the plunge, and was it ever heavenly! SOOOOOO SOFT. Soft shearling lining all the way around!!!

For those who don't wear sheepskin shoes, by the way, they don't require socks. Wearing socks will not be comfortable at all because of the shearling lining. Besides, it's nice not to have to put on those scratchy, thick woolen socks that bunch up and make your shoes feel a size too small. With these, you just slip your tootsies right into them and you're ready to go...it's liberating in a small kind of way. Unless someone knows how Uggs "work", it's not obvious that your feet are naked.

Fashion-wise and looks-wise, these aren't very pretty at all. They kind of remind me of the Birkenstock look in a way...ugly but in a charming way but comfortable. To me, they look like I'm wearing my slippers...big 'n' puffy. Your feet will look like marshmallows. I've found that they look best with skinny cigarette pants when the pants are tucked into the boots and with boot-cut pants or jeans. Oh yeah, and mini skirts :@/

Because these shoes are so soft and pillowy, for the mostpart, they won't offer any type of protection should something heavy fall on your foot!

It sounds insane and maybe it is, but I decided to wear my new Uggs into New York City, having just worn them maybe for half a day prior. A friend of ours was visiting and had never been to NYC, so we took her there on the train. It was 30 degrees outside during the day and the temp dropped even more at night, but my feet NEVER got cold. Not one time (in fact, Uggs are supposed to keep feet warm in temps to -30 F).

On a related note, nor did my feet ever get too hot (in fact, in warm weather [even to 80 F], the soft fibers act as a natural air conditioner, keeping your feet cool and comfortable). My fakes actually made my feet sweat many times so I'm guessing they're a synthetic insole, but it's sorta hard to tell as most of it has since rubbed off (then again, it probably shouldn't have come off were it real shearling).

There really wasn't much of a breaking in period at all before they started feeling really comfortable. However, at one point during the trip the shearling on the bottom of one foot kind of bunched up and was pressing against my sole in the arch of my foot (more irritating than painful), but it didn't last for more than an hour and the shearling footbed comfortably conformed to the shape of my feet afterwards.

We walked for almost 9 hours that day and my friend had blisters on her feet but mine were feeling GOOOOOD. Not one blister and I didn't want to take them off when we came home, either!

One thing I did notice was that the lighter-colored Uggs will show dirt and stains very fast. From what I've seen, stain-repellent and cleaner can be bought, but the Uggs brand is going for about $40 or so for the two cleaners and a special brush on Ebay. I just found a website for a store in California (www.cozyboots.com) that not only sells the stain and water repellent but the cleaner and conditioner for $8 each. They also stock the shearling replacement insoles for $15. Free shipping is offered for orders over $24. Shop around...there's probably better deals out there, although this one looks pretty reasonable to me.

Speaking of, general care instructions according to the company are:

Hand wash only and do NOT use a washing machine.

Moisten sheepskin footwear with clean, cold water.

Dilute Cleaner & Conditioner with 1/2 water.

Apply a small amount of diluted Ugg australia Cleaner & Conditioner to a clean wet sponge.

DO NOT apply Cleaner & Conditioner directly onto footwear.

Gently scrub to clean entire area.

Sheepskin has a delicate surface which can be damaged if scrubbed aggressively, or with undiluted concentration.

Rinse clean in clean, cold water and allow to dry naturally and slowly.

DO NOT dry in direct heat or sunlight.

Once footwear is dry, lightly brush with a very soft suede/nubuck brush in one direction only.

I haven't gotten these wet yet, and probably won't wear them in wet weather until I find a suitable and cheap moisture repellent. If my fakes are any indication, they should do well and with the added protection of a moisture repellent, they should actually be OK, but if I find different, I'll update & let you know. The salt and chemicals used to melt snow might have a weird effect on the sheepskin, so I'll probably not wear the real deal during or after a snowstorm.

So what is the fate of my knock-offs? Well, I think I'll get them repaired and maybe use them when I'm outdoors or something (dirty work), because I'm not as concerned about their looks as my blue ones, and they're actually pretty comfy in their own right.

From what I've heard, these are running a little larger these days, possibly up to one shoe size. They're available in whole sizes only. If between sizes, order 1/2 size down from your usual size. This can get confusing, as these will give a little (stretch a bit) through wear and will conform to your feet, so make sure you get the right size if purchasing. Narrow or especially hard to fit feet types should try these on in a store so as to make sure that these will fit them.

These come in white, black, baby blue, pastel pink, chestnut, sand, ruby red, navy and lilac. New colors are constantly being added to their product line. I've also seen these in tall boots and other types of footwear made for men, women and children/babies. They make some 3" long sheep fur fluff boots that look like Clydesdale feet to me, slippers, hiking boots, clogs and other types of shoes in different outer finishes. The company also offers pillows, rugs, jackets, coats and purses in their product line.

I love these and highly recommend them...they're a real treat for your feet!

Watch out for used ones, as again, these are worn with bare feet. If you buy used, make sure to spray some kind of Lysol or a deodorizer/germ killer in them for a sec or make sure they've only been worn a handful of times (or even better, less)!!! The replacement insoles that I mentioned earlier also are a good idea when buying used shoes, but make sure that the insoles will come out...some of the shoe models have replaceable soles and some don't (the ones I am reviewing don't).

Here's their website: (www.uggaustralia.com)