Your Favorite Pair Of Uggs May Be Doing You More Harm Than Good

Whether Uggs are good for your feet lies in the company's origin story. Why were Ugg boots created in the first place?

In a YouTube interview with Inc., Ugg founder Brian Smith explains that the inspiration behind Uggs was that his feet were chilly after surfing in Malibu one day in the late '70s. He was visiting from Australia while brainstorming potential businesses, and it came to him, "One day, I was surfing in Malibu. And afterwards, the water was cold, and the wind was chilly. I was pulling on my sheepskin boots, and I thought, 'Oh my God. There are no sheepskin boots in America.'"

So, he thought it was the perfect footwear for surfers, who often need cozy clothes after getting out of the water. But in a nutshell, Uggs were designed for the sandy beaches, relatively even terrain, and mild climates of Southern California's beachy areas — not for the slippery surfaces of wintery landscapes. Because the design was intended for short-term wear on soft surfaces, the podiatrists at Fords Foot & Ankle Care in New Jersey contend that, over time, the boots' structural issues lead to issues in all joints — from the toes through the knee and hips.