Whether we like it or not, no one can walk down the Ave without passing at least ten people wearing those big furry boots, otherwise known as Uggs.

What started as a shoe made for surfers in Australia has spread around the world, reaching the UW campus, where Uggs are worn in all types of Seattle weather, no matter how inappropriate they may be.

Through rain and snow, Uggs tend to dominate the boot-wearing crowd, yet their suede exterior and sheepskin interior don’t fare as well against the great outdoors as common leather boots, or even galoshes.

“I feel like I wore Uggs a lot in high school because we were inside, but then on campus when you wear Uggs when it’s raining, they always soak up all the water,” sophomore Cindy Wu admitted.

Alternatively, in the sun, Uggs work just as poorly. “I don’t really use them at all in the summer when I’m at the beach. I find that when it’s hot, I get super hot from wearing these big fur shoes,” junior Jake Schmitt said.

So what is the appeal of Uggs? How did they manage to win the hearts (and cash) of men and women around the globe?

“It started with my mom and sister who had a pair and obviously loved them,” Schmitt said, describing how he obtained his first pair of Ugg slippers. “Christmas about two years ago, my mom got my dad and I a pair because she loved them so much, and now we both wear them.”

Schmitt admits to wearing his Uggs around a bit more than he originally intended, but loves them for the comfort and the warmth they provide on cold winter days.

Likewise, Wu said she wears her Uggs pretty much everyday because of their comfort, but also their convenience.

“Some people think Uggs look weird,” Wu said. “I think they’re only normal because everyone wears them. I guess I bought them because if everyone else is wearing them then there must be a reason why; they must be comfortable.”

Unlike Schmitt and Wu, sophomore Van Nguyen has yet to buy into the Ugg craze, saying he finds the bulky look of Uggs strange.

“Apple would never put Uggs in their iPod commercials because they have a horrible silhouette,” Nguyen said.

Ngyuyen sees Frye boots for women and chukkas for men as more weather appropriate choices. But the 19-year-old fashionisto agrees that Uggs are a trend that will likely stick around.

“I think that Uggs are going to become like the Kleenex.” Nguyen said. “When people say they want a Kleenex they really want a tissue and I think when people say they want Uggs, they really just mean those [type of] shoes.”

Reach reporter Jennifer Au at arts@dailyuw.com.