OPINION: The ugliest item in your closet

For the love of individuality, buy a new pair of boots.

As winter rolls in, women—and some men—slip on their ugg boots and hit the sidewalk shuffling. Throw on some black leggings and a crew neck and viola—a seasonal trifecta.

I shudder at the thought of it.

I don’t claim to be a fashion expert who is hip on the latest happenings in New York or Milan, but I believe this, ugg boots and their competitors are not fit for Michigan weather or Michiganders’ closets.

I regret to inform you I have learned this from experience. I was gifted a pair of ugg boots and I felt a mix of emotions, appreciation and dread. I was speechless.

“Thank you,” I finally whimpered.

Through my personal observation, I have discovered ugg boots do a lousy job of repelling water and do not provide adequate traction on slippery campus sidewalks.

They also have the tendency of emitting an awful stench. I have noticed this by sitting next to a woman in class who seemed to have worn her ugg boots to the landfill and back.

I tried my hardest to embrace the fad, but as I slipped on my shapeless boots every few days, my personal style died a little on the inside.

Ugg boots did not complement my closet, which was and still is, bursting with a plethora of eclectic dresses, brightly colored tights and thrift shop finds. It just didn’t work. It was like trying to force Lady Gaga in to a nice cardigan sweater and a well-fitted pair of khaki pants.

Needless to say, my ugg boots are long gone. In their place sits a pair of red winter boots with a molded rubber outsole that laugh in the face of Michigan winters and a pair of black faux-leather boots with a small buckle that I put on seamlessly over skinny jeans and tights.

“But Sarah,” you might say, “They are so comfortable and convenient.”

To which I reply, take the easy way out of the ugg boots and find a pair that boasts style and functionality without comprising comfort.

Your closet will thank me later.