I know what you're thinking. Well, maybe. Maybe not. But a lot of fashionistas out there are extremely turned off by the sight or sound of UGGs.

I used to be that way. I thought the boots were ugly (pun intended!) and so unflattering. That was until I put my feet into my first pair two years ago. And I have never turned back. It's possible to be wearing your warm boots and still be stylish and comfortable!

See, the thing is, I live in a place where being warm in the winter is a necessity. Without covering yourself in layers, you stand no chance against the weather. The winters here can dip down to -40 degrees Celsius.. and I take public transit to get to campus everyday. When the busses are late, the sky is blizzarding, or the snow is being blown around by the wind.. I need the warmth. No doubt.

Anyway, UGGs can be quite expensive, and an investment for your closet. Depending on the style, the prices can run anywhere from $150 - $500. And that can be a huge setback, so you want to be able to take care of your boots so they will last you a long time! Well, that's what I think anyway.

After a season of wear, your boots can be quite filthy, even if they don't appear to look dirty. I work hard to keep my possessions in good condition, and my boots are no exception. But when I went about looking for a way to take care of my boots, there was nothing very descriptive, and I had to piece things together to clean and maintain my boots. I am in no way an expert on the subject, but I thought I would share what I do to keep my boots in tip top shape. I have two pairs of UGGs, and they still look perfect after 2 seasons of wear, each season lasting about 5 months.

Just a warning, this tutorial is picture heavy and very detailed.

please ignore the background, did this in my laundry room :)

What you'll need:

- UGGs (a given! or you can use this tutorial for any other sheepskin boots)
- Clean sponge
- UGG sheepskin cleaner & conditioner (suede shampoo, woolite)
- Scrap paper
- Suede Brush
- Suede Protectant Spray

You can definitely use the substituted products in parenthesis above, just make sure that the sponge you use is CLEAN. The pack of 3 sponges I picked up was only $1.


Step 1: Soak your sponge, and use it to dampen the exterior of the boot. Do not dampen it so much that it soaks through the boot. You really only need to dampen the bottom half of the boot, not so much the part that goes around your leg unless it is definitely dirty


Step 2:Apply a small amount of the shampoo/conditioner to a very wet sponge. Work up a slight lather on the sponge if possible.


Step 3: Use the sponge to clean the boot, moving in gentle circular motions. If there are extremely dirty spots, focus on those after gently cleaning the whole boot first. Be gentle, because you don't want to ruin the skeepskin. You will see suds forming on the boot.


If you take a look at your sponge, you will likely see the dirt coming out!


Step 4:After cleaning the entire boot, allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. Use the time to complete steps 1-4 for the other boot.


Step 5:Rinse the shampoo out of the sponge, making sure it is clean. Take the boot and quickly run it under a stream of water. Take the clean sponge and use it to rub out the residual shampoo, and soak the water out of the sheepskin.


When finished, your boots should look like this. It's alright if they look out of shape because you will be stuffing them.


Step 6:Take some scrap paper (you'll need at least 10 sheets), and crumple them into balls of paper


Step 7:Take the paper balls and stuff them into your boots


Adjust the stuffing so that you have a nice rounded shape to the boot, similar to when you first bought them. Let the boots dry a minimum 24 hours (I usually allow them to dry for 2 days).


Once completely dry, the boots will feel hard and starchy. Don't panic!! You didn't ruin your boots, and this is normal.


Step 8:Take out your suede brush. Use it to raise the nap of the sheepskin by brushing in one direction only I stress this, because back and forth movement may cause you to strip the skeepskin. If you start seeing fuzzies in your brush, don't worry! As long as you are moving in one direction you are doing it correctly. You do have the option of using the oppostite side of the brush which is rubbery and meant for nubuck. However, I find it is less efficient and cannot get to all the hairs on the skin.


All soft and fuzzy again!


Step 9:Take your protectant spray, and cover the boot liberally. You went through so much hard work to clean the boot, you want to keep them in the best condition possible. With the spraying complete, the colour will be darker than normal. But when dried, it will lighten and return to normal colour :) And voila, you're done!

I will usually clean my UGGs once a year, maximum twice if we have an extremely terrible winter. However, I make sure to keep my boots as clean as possible, and do regular maintenance on them. Here's a couple things I do that can help you out:

- Avoid stepping in puddles or wet snow

- When you do get snow on your boots, swipe the snow off of the boot as soon as you can. The snow shouldn't stick on the boot anyway because you've sprayed them with a protectant, so when swiped off, there will be no mark.

- While you're walking, stomp occasionally to get clumped snow off your boot

- Spray boots down every 3-4 weeks, depending on weather conditions. Before spraying my boots with protectant again, I give them a quick brush with the nubuck side of the brush to remove surface dirt first.

Enough of my rambling, that's about it. Have fun taking care of your boots and stay warm out in the cold weather!