Chicago’s Michigan Avenue Nordstrom store was grimly recession-quiet — except for one spot: the Ugg Boots section of the shoe department.
Women filled every seat, pulling on and off the warm, iconic sheepskin boots; stacks of giant Ugg boxes were scattered about.
How did Decker Outdoor Corp., the California-based company that makes Women’s UGG Classic Tall Boots, do it? Somehow, Decker, which is celebrating the brand’s 30th anniversary this year, managed the triple Lutz of branding: becoming a fad that doesn’t fade in the inevitable backlash.
Five years ago, it seemed every issue of People magazine had photos of Pamela Anderson, Kate Hudson, Liv Tyler, Brooke Shields, Sienna Miller, Jennifer Aniston or any other celeb sporting a pair of the boots.
You would think such overexposure would kill Uggs, and for a while, fashionable people did groan when the name was mentioned. But somehow, Cheap UGG Classic Short Boots have made the transition from trendy to wardrobe staple.
Take a look at the blog I Got Fashion UGG Classic Crochet Boots , and you’ll find scores of recent photos of the famous and not-so-famous wearing the boots, years after they were a hit. This month alone, I Got Uggs posted photos of Ashley Tisdale, Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Simpson, Avril Lavigne, Lily Allen, Beyoncé, Michelle Williams and daughter Matilda, Isla Fisher and daughter Olive, Kristin Davis, and Kate Hudson all wearing Uggs, years after they were a hit.
“We hate the word ‘trendy,’ ” said Kristen Tomason, brand spokeswoman. “We would want to stay away from that word.”