Ugg Boots: A Fashion Trend Afoot

Hollywood Puts Stamp of Approval on an Import from Australia

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Elaine Korry, NPR News

A pair of Ugg boots in the "sand" shade.

Morning Edition, December 23, 2003 · In the world of high fashion, the most unlikely styles become fads. This season, the must-have accessory is a pair of Uggs... cloddish sheepskin boots from Australia first popular with surfers in the 1970s. Now all of Hollywood seems to be wearing them. And it's not just a Southern California trend, either. Retailers are selling out as far away as Toronto.

As NPR's Elaine Korry notes, "Ugg mania" may have been pushed over the edge when Oprah Winfrey gave a pair to everyone in her audience. Before that, celebrity sightings: Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Roberts were spotted wearing them, and Sarah Jessica Parker ordered a special pair in ruby red.

Uggs have flat soles and a shapeless, retro look. Korry notes they're an "anti-fashion answer to pointy stilettos."

But new colors are being added -- baby pink and blue just this spring -- and 20,000 pairs were sold to stores before retailers had even seen samples.

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