Uggs

The quiet return of the divisive shoe stars swear by each fall

The ballet flat is back, and it's not apologizing for its quiet return.

3 min read Latest from Who What Wear
The quiet return of the divisive shoe stars swear by each fall
Zora Genuine Shearling Trim Ballet Flat

There is a particular kind of confidence that comes with wearing something simply because it feels right, regardless of what the conversation around it says. Uggs have never needed our approval, and that is precisely why they endure. The shoe that polarizes has quietly reclaimed its place in the rotation, spotted on Emily Ratajkowski at a Brooklyn farmers market and on a generation of women who understand that comfort is not a compromise, it is a statement. We have watched this evolution play out alongside other quiet resurgences, from the understated authority of denim in Paris to the accessory that signals effortless taste in 2026. Each of these stories points to the same truth: style that lasts is not loud, and it does not ask for permission.

The early 2000s taught us to see Uggs as a punchline or a guilty pleasure. The current moment, however, offers something more refined. When we see Bella Hadid, Dua Lipa, and Lily-Rose Depp in shearling boots, we are not witnessing a revival of nostalgia for its own sake. We are watching a shift in how women dress for themselves. The micro slip-on, the classic tall boot, the ballet flat lined in genuine shearling, these are not trend pieces designed to shock. They are wardrobe anchors. They signal a woman who has stopped performing for the camera and started dressing for the life she is actually living. This is the same energy that made Emily Ratajkowski's recent understated elegance in London feel so magnetic. She was not trying to convince anyone. She was simply present.

What interests us most is the price point. Under $100 for certain styles, available on Nordstrom, Revolve, Shopbop, and Ugg's own site, these are not inaccessible objects of desire. They are democratic in a way that luxury often pretends not to be. The message is clear: you do not need to spend a fortune to move through the world with intention. You need only to choose what feels like yours. That is a deeply feminine kind of power, soft, unshakable, and entirely self-assured. It is the same quiet confidence that has kept Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen loyal to the brand for decades, long after the paparazzi flashbulbs moved on to other things.

One specific detail to watch this season is the silhouette. The classic tall boot remains, but the newer iterations, the Zora ballet flat, the Elea waterproof slipper, the Coquette slipper, suggest a broadening of the category. Uggs are no longer just for cold mornings or lazy Sundays. They are being worn with intention, styled into outfits that balance texture and ease. The question is no longer whether you love or hate them. It is whether you are ready to admit that the most divisive shoe in your closet might also be the most honest one.

From Latest from Who What Wear

The second the temperatures started dropping into the 60s in New York City, there's one polarizing shoe that gets pulled back out after being stored away for the summer: Uggs. Case in point: Emily Ratajkowski seen wearing a pair to a farmers market in Brooklyn on September 20.

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