By Alexis Dalton
As I was thinking about how to start this article, I looked up to see one of my classmates making her Hanukkah wish list on Google Slides. On her screen was the Eskimo Mou Boot in “Dust Iron.” (Taylor’s parents, if you’re reading this, she’s a size 38).
As Nancy Sinatra says, “These boots are made for walkin’,” but what boots? If you’re a Lovett Upper School girl, you’re probably walkin’ in either Uggs or Mou boots, and they’re probably a lot more comfortable than the boots Sinatra wears in her 1966 video.
As soon as the temperature drops below 65ºF, many students begin to wear these two types of sheepskin shoes.
Like a lot of kids, I had the classic Ugg boots that many got you for Christmas. Before coming to Lovett, I had never heard of Mou boots, but now that I have a pair, I wear them almost every day during the colder months.
Students who have both types of boots tend to prefer their Mou boots over their Uggs. “They’re just more comfortable,” junior Maddie Boatright said. “I just feel like I always reach for them now because they’re just way more comfortable, and it’s also what everyone else is wearing.”
People also like the wide variety of styles and colors offered by Mou. They have many different designs, textures, and colors whereas Uggs have a small selection of colors with their most popular color being Chestnut. Junior Susanna Lynch prefers Mou boots because she “like[s] the lighter colors instead of brown.”
However, Uggs have recently become a huge trend. The Classic Ultra Mini and the Tazman boots went viral during the fall.
Junior Coi Kilcrease thinks that Uggs are “easier to get” than Mou boots because they are less expensive, and their website uses US sizing as opposed to Mou’s European sizes. Also, most shoe stores sell Uggs. Leighton Maynard says that the reason she has Uggs instead of Mou boots is because she was able to try them on in person. “There isn’t a Mou store,” she explained.
Ugg slippers are also very popular. Susan Roper loves her Ugg slippers, but she tends to choose her Mou boots instead “since they are actual shoes.”
I ran into sophomores Ridley Sands and Scarlett Rouland in the hallway, and they sparred a bit about the merits of their boots (Ridley was in Uggs, Scarlett in Mous). Scarlett pointed out the stars on her Mous, suggesting that Mous had more intricate designs. Ridley pointed out the subtle red stitching on the sides of her Uggs. Ridley likes that her Uggs keep her feet warm and aren’t “squishy.” Scarlett doesn’t like the higher platform of the Uggs, and said she tends to fall a lot in them. Ridley dismissed Scarlett’s concerns, bragging a bit about her “more stable ankles.”
Fortunately, their argument didn’t seem too serious, and they were able to walk off together despite wearing two different brands of boots.
