Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Is it UGG-ly by name, ugly by nature?
Has ‘animal lover’’ Cher sold her sole to a brand which is accused of causing cruelty to
In this day and age, scrolling the internet on a daily basis, there is little that shocks me. I feel like I’ve seen and read it all. However, the other week an image I came across stopped me in my tracks. I saw one of my absolute heroes – Cher – slouching on a peacock chair wearing a pair of Ugg boots.
I was taken aback, I’m not going to lie. First of all, this is a woman who is renowned for being one of the most iconic celebrities in the world – rarely seen without impeccable hair and make-up and wearing a ridiculously glam get-up, always defying her 75 years.
This time she looked different. Yes her hair and make-up was done, she even managed to pull off a very “Cher” lounge set, but when I saw her shoes, my heart sank for several reasons. First of all, they were Uggs. Often described as the ugliest, shoes of all time, meant to be worn by WAGs, midday pyjama-clad corner shoppers and mere mortals who are dashing in and out of their car running errands in the hope that no one they know sees them – and what’s on their feet.
They are NOT supposed to be worn by one of the most glamorous women in the planet. Even if she is lounging around at home. We want to keep the image of Cher in her ripped and biker jacket
Secondly, this is the woman who went to the ends of the earth – quite literally – to rescue an elephant who spent most of its life in solitary confinement.
Through her Free The Wild charity, she helped relocate Kavaan, who had been living alone in an Islamabad Zoo, to an animal reserve in Cambodia.
It made the world, particularly animal lovers, love her even more.
So you can imagine why I was taken aback to see her sporting a pair of these overpriced sheepskin boots.
If you have the stomach for it, you only have to type the words “UGG” and “sheep” into Google to be bombarded with claims by Peta and vegan websites of animal cruelty cases linked to the brand.
Peta says: “UGG boots are made of shearling – that’s skin with the fleece still attached. Every year, millions of sheep are castrated and parts of their tails are cut off – often without any painkillers – before they’re finally slaughtered for their skin, which is what UGG boots are made of. They endure all that cruelty just for a pair of boots.”
Now, UGG argues it sources its sheepshin ethically and sustainably, claiming on the website, “UGG only purchases animal materials from suppliers that comply with our strict Ethical Sourcing and Animal Welfare policy. For us, it is essential that animal-based materials we use are sourced from animals that have been raised humanely using sound animal husbandry.
“This assures that animals are free from hunger and thirst, discomfort, pain, fear and distress, and have the freedom to express normal behaviour. We never accept hides that have come from animals who have been solely raised for their hide, or from animals who have been raised or slaughtered inhumanely.
“We do not believe in the exploitation or killing of animals solely for the purpose of their fur.”
That all sounds well and good but it is hard to get the images and videos which the animal rights websites publish, and we can only hope UGG is as strict as it claims to be.
A couple of days after the Cher campaign was unveiled earlier this month, it led to a 1,280% spike in demand for the UGGs.
So the Californian boot brand is certainly happy. However, can the same be said for animal lovers – and indeed Cher lovers? I’m not so sure.
I can’t just turn off how I feel about her just because she made this one decision. And I do Believe that she should be sitting on a throne, not a peacock chair.
The fact is, UGGs will always be ugly in my opinion, mostly due to the fact that so many animals are slaughtered every year – humanely or not – just to keep our feet warm. Maybe for many of us, faux furstyle UGG boots are a less cruel and more sustainable option.
And maybe Cher should consider them too – particularly when she’s next paying Kavaan a visit.