Demand for Ugg boots is up 242 per cent - because, lockdown

Once a noughties essential, Uggs are making a comeback as global fashion search platform Lyst’s quarterly report showed searches for the slippers are up 242 per cent compared to 2019.

The perfect WFH (working from home) shoe, Lyst ranked Ugg’s classic ultra mini boots fifth in its top ten hottest women’s products in the world, alongside Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS velour hoodie and Birkenstock’s shearling-lined Boston clogs.

In the men’s list, Ugg’s Scuff Deco slippers came in even higher at number three, while The North Face 1996 retro Nuptse jacket topped both lists.

“With consumers spending more time around the home, demand surged for comfortable, practical shoes that are more winter-proof than sandals,” said the Lyst report.

The rise in Ugg’s street cred comes after fashion giant and former editor-at-large of US Vogue, André Leon Talley, was named the face of the Australian fashion brand in January.

The 72-year-old starred in their latest campaign - which sees him posing in Ugg’s signature slippers on the porch of his house in White Plains, New York - and called the slippers “as chic as heels.”

“I thought at first Ugg had a connotation of being tacky. People said, ‘Oh, I would never be caught wearing an UGG.’ I said it for a very long time too, and then I found an Ugg and put it on. It’s extraordinary and it’s a confidence boost… I have no shame,” added Talley.

Ugg is clearly making a name for itself in the fashion world, with designer Telfar Clemens recently partnering with the brand for a shearling version of its legendary shopping bag, as well as Y/Project for a thigh-high version of its classic boot – as worn by Rihanna – and Eckhaus Latta on a capsule line of clogs and mules.

And their new mini-Uggs - which were released last year and are cut at the lower ankle versus the calf, so the silhouette is way more universally flattering - have proved a major hit with a number of high-fashion celebrities.

Kendall Jenner, Irina Shayk and Emily Ratajkowski have all been spotted sporting the cosy shoe while running errands during lockdown.

According to the Ugg website, the styling options for the mini version are “endless” and they cost £125.

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