I hate winter. I hate the cold. Therefore, when I am forced to go outside between the months of November and March, I bundle up until I resemble Randy from “A Christmas Story.” One year I discovered the wonderful, magic-filled epitome of warm boots: Uggs. I was instantly in love. I didn’t care that I was “basic.” I felt like I was walking on a cloud made of puppy breath and sunshine raindrops. I had those boots for a couple of solid years, and when they broke, I immediately started looking for a new pair. Random googling somehow lead me to one article, which lead me to another, and another, all about the truth behind the company Uggs. I was shocked, and from then on vowed I would never buy another one of their products. No pair of magic boots was worth that.
Ok, I might be exaggerating a little bit. If you know me, you know I’m an extreme animal enthusiast. But as far as Uggs go, they’re defiantly not the worst, but they’re not the best. Ugg boots are made from 100% real sheepskin. This doesn’t mean just shaving the sheep and gluing it onto a synthetic material (like I originally thought) but skinning the sheep. You’re essentially wearing inside-out sheep on your feet. Ew. Not only that, but even “humanely” raised sheep are subject to terrible practices. Merino sheep, which are the breed used primarily for their wool, are subject to terrible conditions. Their fur is extremely overgrown, causing them to collapse, urinate themselves, break bones, and be in excruciating pain for their entire lives.
But like I said, Uggs aren’t that bad. Uggs Australia have made it very clear on their website that they only use sheepskin as a byproduct from the meat industry, meaning that they don’t raise sheep just to use their skin, but take the skin from sheep already being killed for their meat. This is a good way to reduce the amount of sheep killed, but honestly, killing is killing, right? They condemn the practice of mulesing, a way that farmers cut off parts of sheepskin around a live sheep’s hindquarters to create a smoother sheepskin. They only buy sheepskin from countries with strict, regulated laws that treat sheep humanely.
Your “fuggs” (fake Uggs) aren’t safe either. Recent studies have shown that “fuggs” made abroad in China use fur from the raccoon dog. This process is done by skinning the raccoon dog alive. It’s executed in inhumane conditions for both the animal and the workers. Websites are going as far as making sites that look exactly like Uggs Australia to trick customers into buying their rip-offs.
So overall, these aren’t magic boots. The end result is the same: dead animals. Since when did we put ourselves above these adorable, loving creatures? It’s not a sign of wealth and fashion to real fur coats, Ugg boots, or anything of similar nature. When I see that, I see animal cruelty that could easily be avoided with synthetic, natural materials instead.
