Review: Whooga boots
Feel free to judge me harshly on this one. I can take it, I think.
Last winter I found myself wishing for a pair of UGGS. I ended up buying a generic, thrifted pair at the Texas Thrift Store and gladly wore them on set of I Didn't Come Here to Die. They weren't that warm, but they were great for trudging around our on location camp site, and I was glad to have been able to use them.
When Whooga wrote me to see if I'd be interested in reviewing a pair of their ugg boots, I almost passed. They're just not my style, and for the life of me, I can't figure out how to wear them stylishly or unironically. But a little nagging voice kept reminding me that all winter last year, I wore my generic thrifted ones indoors or to run quick errands in the morning hours about town. I relented and now own this much better looking pair and even wore them to the dentist office yesterday:
Ugg boots originated in Australia over 100 years ago, the word "ugg" refers to a style of sheepskin boots and not any particular brand. Whooga is an internationally trademarked and rapidly expanding brand of ugg boots, but are different than "UGG’s" which refers to the American brand UGG Australia (which is owned by parent company Deckers).
PROS:
1. Oh, so warm!
Rest assured that these are real sheepskin. These are much warmer than my generic thrifted ugg style boots. I now understand why so many people own these boots!
2. Oh, so soft!
Again, these are much softer than my generic thrifted ones. As a comparison, I tried on the grey UGG's at Nordstrom's, and the Whooga ugg boot trumps it in softness.
3. Much more affordable!
The Whooga ugg boots (at $107) are a fraction of the price of UGG Australia boots ($179 on Amazon), but they look nearly identical. They are on par with each other in terms of construction and warmth, but the Whoogas feel a little softer on the inside. More bang for your buck!
CONS:
1. Still costly.
The Whooga boots still cost over $100. They are a lot better quality than the unmarked/ generic ones I got, but for a relatively unknown brand, $107 plus $16 shipping to the U.S. is still a little bit of a stretch for me. Luckily, if you're Google savvy, you can usually find a coupon code to knock $30 off, which makes them much more comfortably affordable!
2. Now made in China.
I have to mention this, and the Whooga website states their reasons for moving production to China. They do still use all Australian materials, but the boots are shipped directly from the Chinese manufacturer and will show up on your doorstep with Chinese packaging. You should know that UGG Australia boots are also made in China, so if you're considering UGGS vs. Whooga, this can't be a determining factor. I say all this as I type on a MacBook that's also made in China.
Verdict:
Very nice! It's like strapping a warm, fluffy cloud to your feet! I wore my Whooga boots to my crazy Christmas sweater party which was held outside. My feet stayed perfectly toasty, and so far the boots have held up rather nicely. I imagine that as long as I keep them relatively clean, I'll be wearing these for many winters to come.
However, I must ask, is it possible to wear ugg boots in public and still look somewhat fashionable? If so, send me a link with photos on how that works! I'd love to see these with something other than Nike shorts.
