Are You Unsafe in Your Uggs?

By Alyssa – University Of Maryland

Your favorite pair of shoes might be wreaking havoc on your body, and you don’t even know it. If you’re anything like me, you live in your UGGs once fall rolls around and don’t stop wearing them until skirt season shows up on the calendar.

It might be time to kick them to the curb, as studies have shown the harmful effects of repeated wear of UGG and sheepskin boots. Among the health risks are foot fungus, flat feet, ankle deformities and the development of back problems (Not to mention feeling horrible about yourself every time a guy makes fun of Uggs). If these risks sound like the overinflated precautions repeated after prescription drug commercials that should be shrugged off – -think again.

Foot fungus, more commonly known as athlete’s foot, disgusting whatever you call it, is caused from fungi which grown in warm and moist environments. Enter your beloved UGG boots. Whether your wear them with socks or barefoot, by the end of a busy day running around, those things can be pretty gross.

According to their website, UGG Australia prides their shoes on their construction. “Grade-A sheepskin is extremely dense and soft, which provides for a more comfortable and durable material.” However, the soft interior of your UGGs allow your feet to slip and slide around the cushioning without support. Dr Ian Drysdale, head of the British College of Osteopathic Medicine says, “With each step, the force falls towards the inside of the foot and the feet splay. This flattens the arch and makes it drop.” As your foot flattens it cannot support your body weight, resulting in pain in your joints: ankles, knees and hips.

So the question is becoming, is the price of comfort becoming too high? What good is walking on clouds if your feet end up feeling like they’re walking on nails?

After the development of this news, manufacturers have created fuzzy insoles that are supposed to provide arch support and replicate the texture of your boots. But maybe, instead of running out and buying these insoles in mass, we should take a moment, cruise the internet, and find out what else is out there.

I mean, as someone currently wearing my fourth pair of very expensive salt-crusted Uggs, I’m starting to think that maybe these studies are a sign that I’m ready for a change.