Each year as winter approaches, Edina High School students are kept warm and cozy by new social media UGG trends. 

Walking through EHS, it’s difficult to go more than a few minutes without spotting a pair of UGGs. “I see UGGs every day at school because people are wearing their Tasman slippers to school,” junior Sabrina Hanold said. 

In particular, The UGG Tasmans and the Ultra Minis have grown in popularity in recent years. “I saw UGGs get really popular last year,” sophomore Evelyn Haberman said. The Tasmans are sheepskin slippers a braided collar and a design made to be easy to slip into. “The [Tasmans] are so cozy and honestly so cute,” Haberman said. 

As new shopping and social media platforms emerge every day, manufacturers of goods are able to utilize these programs to expand their influence. “Every other day I see people who own UGGS on social media. Every day I see an ad for them,” Haberman said.

The popularity of UGGs can be attributed to their presence on TikTok and other social media apps. “Social media influencers were wearing them and provided good reports and reviews on them,” Hanold said. Commercial advertisements also play a huge role in marketing a product. “On TikTok, people are like ‘Everyone needs to buy this,’ ‘Everyone should purchase this,’ and ‘These are so cute.’ It’s a lot of micro-influencers, like their trends [are what] definitely influence people,” sophomore Chloe Smith said. 

To Smith, UGGs are perfect for their comfortability and how easy it is to put them on; in comparison, other popular shoes like high-tops typically demand more complex lace-tying. However, not every UGG can cater to everyone’s preferences. “I think that the minis are cute, but I hate the Tasman slippers with a burning passion,” junior Molly Fruit said. “They look like camel toes and I just think that they’re really gross looking.”

Regardless of appearance, UGGs come with a hefty price tag ranging from $100 – $200; other companies and brands with almost identical boots and slippers retail for $30 – $80. On the brand’s website, an original pair of Tasmans retails for $110. “When I was younger I was always running around and messing up my shoes so my mom never bought me UGGs. So why would she spend $100 on boots?” Smith said. 

This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on November 30, 2023.