It's Official: Fashion People Are Wearing Jeans, Skirts and Tracksuits With This "Dated" Shoe Trend

If you were around during the original golden age of the Ugg boot, any sign signalling their return might send you spiralling into emotional distress rather than a welcome bit of trend forecasting (millennials, I'm looking at you), but alas, here we are. The Ugg boot is back, and it's quickly becoming a Gen Z staple.

They may look like a humble pair of warm boots, but for many (myself included), they unlock a very specific, hyper-saturated pop-culture archive which feels equally iconic and utterly unhinged. And the Ugg lore can't be ignored, because Gen Z is unironically reviving them once more.

In the 2000s, Ugg boots became a worldwide phenomenon almost overnight. Thanks to Oprah Winfrey and her "Favourite Things" segment (the episode where she famously gifted 350 pairs of the Tall Boot to staff and the studio audience), the boots transitioned from a staple of the Australian surfer’s post-wave outfit into a global frenzy.

For us Brits, the goalpost was the lawless Bohemian styling of Sienna Miller wading through the wet fields of Worthy Farm in a tailored military jacket, denim miniskirt and a pair of roll-top midi Uggs. Or Kate Moss' off-duty uniform of knee-high Uggs, skinny jeans and a Mulberry Bayswater. The chaotic impracticality of the almost too soft suede boots instantly entered these looks into British street-style history.

Across the pond, Britney Spears was often spotted running to the convenience store in a Juicy Couture tracksuit, shield sunglasses and sheepskin boots, whilst Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie's The Simple Life style (Motorola RAZRs, tiny dogs and Uggs in 85-degree Bel-Air sunshine) made the boots an even hotter commodity. And let's not forget the Disney Channel chaos that ensued every time Ashley Tisdale—Y2K maximalist layering queen—wore Uggs with just about every unconventional premiere look going. From Beyoncé to Eva Longoria, the shuffly, comfortable boots graced the feet of every fashionable It girl going.

Once the pinnacle of "ugly-chic", their slumped shapelessness lent an unbothered finish to even the simplest looks, but as the fashion cycle kept turning, vibrant colour palettes and thong-baring waistlines were swiftly swapped for sleek, quietly luxurious minimalism, shelving Uggs in the process.

But then came 2020, and a pop-culture miracle occurred. With the entire world locked inside, pieces that could wear from the sofa to the street blew up overnight, and for the first time in two decades, comfort and style were no longer mutually exclusive, making space for the Ugg boot once more. From Kendall Jenner to Jennifer Lawrence, Bella Hadid to Zoë Kravitz, Uggs of all shapes and styles made their way onto the feet of fashion's most stylish dressers, and Gen Z are taking it one step further.

If you wish, you can now buy camo-print and gemstone-embellished pairs, not to mention designer collaborations with the likes of JW Anderson and Kith. Basically, as long as they look and feel as relaxed as the original, they're an instant hit. Scroll down to shop the best Ugg boots on the market in 2026.

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