By Jennifer Eden

Watching workmen spray-paint snow onto a massive plastic Christmas tree outside a shopping center recently, I smiled with the thought of the forthcoming festivities. Exchanging my holiday spirit with a young woman standing next to me, my happiness turned to horror as my eyes popped at what she was wearing on her feet – Ugg boots, outside!

Unable to comprehend this impossible fashion mistake, I took a closer look to see "Made in Australia" on the back. Original Uggs. In Beijing. Being worn in the street. Oh no.

Ugg boots are beautifully comfortable twin-faced 100 percent Australian merino sheepskin boots. They are soft and nurturing, designed to be worn with barefeet to maximize snuggly warmth, they are like slippers. To be worn indoors. Only.

As a child, everyone I knew in Australia had a pair of Uggs. They were well cared for, the comfy suede exterior regularly cleaned and Scotchguarded and the boots worn until the sheepskin inside had all but disappeared. They came in brown and white and maybe blue and choosing a new pair took careful consideration and a relatively large sum of money.

Due to a variety of factors, not the least the obvious fact that they are extremely unattractive, (the generic name Ug and brand name Ugg were derived from the word "ugly," seriously) the wearing of Uggs outside was strictly forbidden.

Unless you were a "bogan" or a "westie" – people from the outer suburbs known for their complete lack of any fashion sense aside from a combination of "flannos" "trackie dacks" "cardies" and "wifebeaters" (fl annelette shirts, tracksuit pants – commonly nylon or oversized gray fleece, cardigans and singlets), you did not, under any circumstances wear your Ugg boots outside. Doing so would immediately place you in the category of complete loser and you would be instantly cast out of any social group, apart for the bogans or westies, with little hope of return.

Oh, it was OK to wear them if you were a surfer. Don't ask me why, I guess because surfers are cool no matter what – but it did blur the lines a little.

Taking deep breaths after my outside Ugg boot encounter and entering the shopping center I front of which I was still standing, I was faced with an even more mortifying sight – an entire department store section devoted to Ugg boots, blatantly encouraging the use of wearing them outdoors.

Upon careful inspection I found that several of the Uggs had been designed for this purpose and resembled slightly-fashionable footwear. But comfy classic slippers were prevalently dotted among the trendy new styles, propagating the idea that outdoor use of the inside versions was in some way socially acceptable.

Take it from a seasoned Australian inside Ugg boot wearer, it is not and it never will be. Doing so may propel you directly into the class of having less than- zero fashion sense and the social sigma associated with it. Enjoy comfy Uggs, luxuriate in the warmth of sheepskin under you toes, but do so inside, some things are just not meant to be shared.

A pair of tatty green Ugg boots hit the pavement. Photo: CFP