I spend a lot of time sitting at my computer working, and my feet get soooo cold. I thought I had solved my problem when I bought some Uggs knock-offs at Walmart. For the first month or so, my feet were toasty warm all day with or without socks. Then I guess the plush lining got smushed or something because now they don’t keep my feet warm at all. So do I need to get the real thing?
Also, if I do buy Uggs, I’ll probably get them online- do the sizes run true? I wear 8.5 US- 39 European.
Thanks.
Parked in front of a Dry Cleaners the other day I noticed their sign said “We clean UGGS.” As an alternative, I would think that might benefit their insulatability.
Ugg boots were designed for a very specific use - keeping the wet feet of Australian surfers warm when they come out of the water. Australia isn’t really all that cold.
Unless your feet are wet, Ugg boots are not very good for keeping them warm. A key misconception that people have with respect to footwear is that shoes with big, bulky and thick uppers are warm. This is a dangerous mistake. The majority of the heat your feet lose are lost through conduction, from your soles making contact with the cold ground, especially if the floor of your office is hardwood or some other hard surface that conducts heat. It doesn’t matter how much material you pile on the top of your feet, if your soles are resting on ice cubes, your feet will freeze.
Assuming your office is a relatively comfortable room temperature, if your feet are cold, lay some insulating material on the floor under your desk and rest your feet on them. Slabs of styrofoam from packaging works well, or just take a down jacket or fleece sweater and fold it up. Wear some reasonable socks and get up for a walk every once in a while to promote circulation, your feet should be perfectly comfortable
I got a pair of Uggs just before Christmas (black, tall, with three buttons along the outside of each boot) and I adore them. They’ve kept my feet toasty warm both outside in this unusually frigid German winter and inside when I’m feeling the chill. They are as comfortable as slippers. I’m thinking that my husband might just want to work a bit harder to stay on my good side, because I love my Uggs so much I’m just about willing to marry them.
ETA: Oh, and sizewise, I usually wear a 6.5 and my Uggs are 7. They’re roomy but not overly so, and I think if I had gone a size down I would have regretted it.
I have some high quality UGG knockoffs (Emus) that are lined with the nice fleece with a thicker sued (not sheepskin) outer. They do keep my feet warm, but it’s nowhere near worth the money. I bought mine for trudging across through the Midwestern snow and they worked just fine. If you just want your feet to stay warm at home, then geez, just get a pair of slippers. UGGs are $200 and up, and mostly popular as a fashion statement or, to some people a faux pas.
I also saw some cheapo little booties at the store that were knitted on the outside, lined with fleece and had a rubber/foam sole. Those will be warm as well and there’s not fuzzy lining to wear away. They were so cute and under $20. And if by “working at the computer” you mean in an office outside of your house where slippers aren’t appropriate (though I’m not sure UGGs are exactly office-wear either), then you might be better off with thick socks, or I’ve seen a couple shoes lined with fuzziness or knit wool at Walmart, Payless, other department stores.
To summarize, yes, UGGs will keep your feet warm, but they are by no means your only option, especially for the price.
I have a pair of uggs that are 10 years old that keep my feet toasty warm in Minnesota.
The model hasn’t been made for eight years, but they have a very thick sole in addition to the lining.
I work at home. I’ve tried lots of different slippers but sooner or later they poop out. Maybe if I put my knockoffs in the dryer, it will re-fluff them.
She already has bought cheapie booties and they didn’t work. Unless you have fancier synthetics designed to help insulate (which are not going to be in cheapie $20 booties), wool will be warmer than polyester and acrylic.
Do you wear them outside? Does this not have the same connotations of (bogan) tackiness as it does in Australia?
I have been gone too long. 
I wasn’t planning on wearing these shoes/slippers outside.
Cool - I was mostly just curious. I keep seeing TV people wearing them in public.
I have real uggs, but I agree that the soles are quite thin and having lived in MI in the winter, they wouldn’t have kept my feet very warm there.
A European size 39 would be easy for me to find, PM me if you want and I can buy you some here in Sydney and ship them. It won’t be cheap but they will last forever. Mine are 8 years old and are still great.
Sorry, to be clear, when I said they were lined with “fleece” i meant two layers microfleece or whatever that fabric is called that they make North Face jackets out of, not “fleece” as in cottony shearling that you would find UGG boots. I would guess the polyester fluff in UGG ripoffs would wear down and fall apart quickly, while I should think the microfleece fabric would hold up better at a comparable cost.
But I’m just saying that because $200 is half my rent and I don’t know what I’ve never had that kind of disposable income before. I own these boots lined with merino wool that are good for wearing in the snow, but I still wear my $5 slippers around the house. Also worth noting, my roommate in college got a pair of genuine UGGs for Christmas one year and within a couple months her big toe wore a hole right through boot. Her solution: ask for another pair of UGG boots the next Christmas and the official UGG boot sheepskin care kit. You know, so they last more than 6 months. The point of that anecdote being that UGGs are a trend and aren’t necessarily so expensive because they are the warmest, most durable boots around. If those two qualities are your sole (pun!) concerns then you can probably do better for the money.
On the other hand, at least if you owned UGGs, you’d be able to wear them outside of the house, through the snow and so on. Just keep in mind that it’s hard to tuck your pants into them so your hems would still get wet. That’s specifically why I went or the boots that open along the side and tie shut.
Long message, but between shoes and saving money, you have combined two of my greatest passions
EDIT: Oh yeah, if you want to know what I was originally talking about GIS “bootie slippers”. They are pretty much everywhere these days. Some of them are lined with fake fluff, others with microfleece.
I love my uggs. I’ve had mine for 7 years. The sole on my knee high uggs is thick enough that I’ve never felt the cold coming from the bottom of my feet. Now that the upper sheep skin has gotten thin, I feel it sometimes from the sides. Perhaps if I didn’t go running around in ankle deep snow just for the fun, that wouldn’t be a problem.
I work in a warehouse and spend half of my days walking on cold concrete floors and the rest with my feet shoved under a cold desk. When I bought them, I had figured out that I bought 2 pair of knock offs every winter…so if a 200 dollar pair of uggs lasted for 5 years, it would be worth it. They made me happy to spend the money within about a day.
Going by my calculations, buying my uggs has saved me 80 on knock offs, there are 14 pair of knock offs that didn’t go to the land fill and I’m a whole lot happier with my old uggs than I’d be with a new pair of knock offs.
My next ones will be the 300 dollar pair that has smooth leather over the sheepskin. They appear to be more durable and waterproof. Of course, by the time I buy another pair, there will be many more options.
I know you asked about Uggs, but I have a pair of Sierra Design down booties that keep my feet amazingly warm, even when I’m out camping in 20 degree weather. Since they are down they don’t really ever get “flat” because you can always throw them in the dryer with a tennis ball to fluff them up. It’s like having a down jacket for your feet! And it seems like they are cheaper than Uggs as well.
Here’s an Ugg with a rubber sole: Ugg Delaine. (This site carries them for $112 rather than $160.) Not sure about warmth; my daughter claims they are, but I think she just says that because I think they’re so ugly that she has to justify their existence. 
Surfers put their wet feet down into wool-lined boots? *That’s * the reason these things are in existence? Wow; learn sumptin new every day.
Yes, but a lot of women haven’t figured it out yet.
As another point of data. The last time my dad went up to a Packer game he mention that a lot of people would bring in a piece of Styrofoam with them. To sit on? Nope, to keep under your feet and keep your feet off the concrete.
This. Cheaper than Uggs and perfect for indoor use.
I have hardwood floors that get very cold and my foot covering of choice is a wool expedition weight sock. They are thick, comfy, warm and wicking, but I still enjoy the feel of being barefoot.
Since I only need them for inside, this might be just the ticket! I very much appreciate this discussion! (And the offer to ship me Uggs from Down Under. 
)
What about just putting a heating pad down where your feet sit? I like to sit cross-legged at the computer, so those hard-soled (and absolutely hideous) Uggs would never work for me. Plus I’ve never spent that much money on a pair of shoes and probably never will.