Feeling sheepish? Jump on the Ugg bandwagon
Despite their ugliness, feetwarming Uggs have been adopted by Sienna Miller, Sarah Jessica Parker and almost every London girl as a winter staple.
Finally the shoe designers have caught on, with sheepskin, both real and fake, making an appearance in shoe shop windows across the capital from Dr Martens to Crocs.
We have good reason to respect the sheepskin trend - there's nothing quite like plunging your feet into a cosy fleece-lined boot.
Like a warm refuge, it feels more like a pair of woolly socks than boots that can brave the outdoors.
In Ugg's case, "it's all about comfort and luxury," according to Connie Rishwain, president of the American-owned firm Ugg Australia.
"We're a feelgood brand," she says.
Fitflop, which brought us those thigh-shaping sandals with revolutionary Microwobbleboard technology, has added the Mukluk shearling model for £125 in its autumn/winter 09 collection. Leg-toning and warmth in one.
And Crocs, the plastic, practical clog makers, has produced its own woolly answer to the winter chill factor - the coloured Gretel clog.
It has stuck to using its unique waterproof Croslite material but added a faux-fur lining.
Most surprising of all is the legendary Dr Martens, whose new bikini-pink Blair Hi suede boot is the answer to tired trotters with its faux-shearling lining.
Like previous eight-eye DM styles, this model retains the teenage rebellion factor of old but is suitably girlie, and claims the sheepskin "will keep your feet nice and cosy, right through the colder months".
It's not just the high street that's adopted fluffy footwear. According to Tina Lamb, accessories buyer at Harvey Nichols, sheepskin booties "made a huge impact on the AW09 catwalks, combining both style and comfort.
A key presence in the top designer's collections and gracing even the most fashionable of feet".
Read More
Stella McCartney has her own heeled fake-fur version called the Brompton Wedge, sold at both Harrods and Harvey Nichols, while both Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs have also created woollen-lined boots this autumn.
Cult Parisian cobbler Pierre Hardy doesn't quite go all the way with his shearling-trimmed high-heeled suede boots for Gap, launched last week. Nevertheless, the 500-long waiting list is proof of how badly shoppers want to keep warm but stay stylish.
Evidently, when feet demand relief, it's just too hard to resist the fur factor.
