I lived in New Zealand for my Jr. year of high school. While living in New Zealand, people wore boots all the time, summer, winter etc. They wouldn't ever wear socks with the boots and they always talked about how comfortable the boots were. They would keep the boots by the door and just slip them on and slip them off as they would come and go.
I figured I would need to buy a pair and try them out before I came home. I went to the store there and bought the pair pictured in the picture. I still wear these boots.
I've worn these boots every winter for 30 years and they are still functional.
Last year, I got them caught on a piece of metal and it ripped and then continued ripping and since then, they haven't done very well.
The soles are still in quite good condition and the seams are still holding but where they ripped, I sewed them and they are getting so old now that they rip.
Because of my love of these boots, and my girls wearing them for things over the years, they all wanted a pair. About 10 years ago, my sister bought me the pair of Ugg boots on the top left picture. She had me for Christmas and worked at Nordstroms and bought me that pair. I have worn them for ten years now and you can see that the seams are coming unsewn with the sole that they have on them. The soles on those boots are stiff plastic and are hard. When I walk in the snow, they slide on the snow and many times, I have almost fallen and I am sure I have fallen a few times.
Over the years, I have found good deals on Uggs and bought several of my girls a pair. Princess Two has a pair that laces up the front but she isn't near me so I don't have a picture. They are really cute and stylish.
The others are all different colors. I noticed the other day when we were together that three of us were wearing them so I took a picture as I wanted to do a post about this.
My sister bought my father a pair at the same time she bought me mine. He didn't think he would wear them but now, he wears them all the time. Over the years, they started making them in China and you can see how the stitches and soles have changed since they were made. The newer one's have a much better sole and have some rubber stuck in the soles so that they don't have the slippage problem that the others had.
The sole of the pair I bought are still quite good. The ones I got from my sister are the hard rubber plastic but the boot doesn't stay attached as well. The newer ones are the grey one's that have "Ugg" written in the middle and have a more similar sole to the ones that I bought 30 years ago. Obviously these boots will get dirty on the inside and out. I have washed them over the years. You have to wash them in cold water. I have done it by hand a few times but find the gentle cycle on the washing machine to do a great job.
I first spray the inside with "Zout" and rub the inside with my fingers to loosen the wool.
Then I wash with regular detergent on COLD cycle. If you use warm or hot, they will shrink so NEVER use hot or warm. Once they are washed, NEVER put them in the dryer. I either put them over a heat vent or put them in the sun to dry.
I put a water bottle in boot to hold up the leg part of the boot. I also put dryer sheets in the bottom of the feet to help them smell good.
The inside can be brushed if it needs it but real wool should fluff up on its own when it is washed. If you look at the inside of my 30 year plus old boots, you can see that it is still fluffy and soft.
Just a helpful thought...I couldn't help but notice that you said you wash your uggs in the washer. You are actually supposed to hand wash them. using the washer will oversaturate them and over a short time, this will cause the boots to deteriorate, much faster than hand washing. My first pair said "Original Ugg Boots Ugg Australia." They were the ones that were first branded by Brian Smith under Ugg Holdings. (1978-88) I am glad to see that you have taken a liking to sheepskin boots, however, I wouldn't advise machine washing any animal hide. that will cause it to crinkle and eventually harden.
ReplyDeleteThose older boots look like something Shane Stedman made out of his boardshop. Shane was the first person to put soles on them.
ReplyDeleteOH, one more thing!! After you hand wash your uggs, they need to dry naturally. They can't be introduced to a heat source or left outside to dry. Make sure you loosely pack the boots with newspaper to help absorb the moisture. you can use a knap brush for brushing your boots after they dry. I, personally, use a Kiwi buffing brush since it is a soft bristle brush. I hope this helps!! I have been cleaning and repairing uggs for 25 years.
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