Ugg is right

I was having a lovely Election Day until I read this little tidbit in the Telegraph — apparently Uggs are recession-proof. (In case you were wondering, classic trenches and cheap cashmere sweaters are also recession-proof, according to the article.) Despite the economic downturn, the Australian purveyor of the chunky, celebrity-endorsed boots has reported an increase in sales, year over year:

[These are not OK.]

Before we go any further, I must be absolutely honest with you, dear 'Philers: I own a pair of mid-calf, rust-colored Uggs. I wear them when dashing to the mailbox in mid-winter or when shoveling out my car. (They aren't very waterproof, by the way.) I would never, ever wear them to a restaurant or with a skirt. Gross.

There are just so many other, fashion-forward boot options out there. Why do I still see Uggs on everyone from New Hampshire moms to inner-city high school kids? Maybe it's just the trickle-down effect (described so eloquently by an icy Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada") — the same boots that Kate Moss couldn't live without five years ago are just now spreading to the burbs and less chic locales around the country. Or, maybe women (or men) who hoped to redo their kitchens or overhaul their wardrobe this season can now only afford a pair of comfortable, $150 boots to see them through the long winter. Who knows?

I recently interviewed heels enthusiast Jess Lynn of South End shoe boutique Leokadia for a Globe Magazine column and this is what she had to say about the sheepskin-lined clunkers:

“Yes, I still see them. And, yes, people gravitate towards them. Even my sisters still wear Uggs and I yell at them… They don’t look good. I understand they are comfortable, but there are all-weather boots you can wear when it’s snowing out and be comfortable and fashionable.”

Amen, sole sister.