A British surgeon has warned the beloved footwear may cause serious knee injuries.
As News.com.au reports, the comfy fleece-lined shoes don’t offer enough support, says fun-stopper Ian McDermott, and could cause “knock-kneed” stance.
The London-based knee surgeon said he did not specifically have a gripe with Ugg boots, but with any soft boot — due to the lack of support, The Sun reports.
He said this style of boot can lead to a bad posture, knee pain and even back pain, which could need surgery to tackle.
“Sheepskin boots and high heels may look great, but vanity may come at the cost of potential physical damage to your body,” Ms McDermott said.
“Unsculpted and flimsy footwear can mean that your feet aren’t fixed in one location as you walk, meaning that the lower limb is working harder, with a greater risk of damage.
“Listen to your body and make sure to not wear flimsy boots every day.
“If someone born with an inherently poor structure or with poor alignment then wears a poorly supported pair of shoes or boots, this can exacerbate the whole issue and this can then end up being the final straw that pushes them into developing symptoms and actual orthopedic problems.”
An Ugg spokesman told The Sun: “UGG is the leader in premium sheepskin footwear. The UGG Classic boot provides the full experience of warmth, comfort and flexibility.
“The Classic II is lighter weight for increased wearability and offers added innovative enhancements, such as Treadlite by UGG outsole technology for increased traction, durability, and cushioning.
“As with any shoe, we encourage customers to ensure the proper fit for maximum comfort.”
In the hope that this British surgeon was wrong, we spoke to Sydney-based podiatric musculoskeletal physician Michael Kinchington to get a second opinion.
“My take on it is that [he] is basically saying ‘wear supportive shoes’ … that if you wear footwear that is soft, unstable and not supportive and if you have postural issues then you are likely to be injured and exacerbate other conditions — I think that is a fair comment.
“What I would add is that there is no harm in wearing a soft comfortable warm Ugg boot-style shoe, but use it for short periods of time. Wear it as a comfy house shoe, wear it for no more than 30 minutes of casual shopping mall walking.”
Adding further insult to footwear injury, Mr Kinchington called out another Aussie icon.
“In Australia, moving into the summer season the use of non-supportive thongs which provides no support and very little in the way of comfort will cause more problems probably than an Ugg boot,” he said.
“If you are going to wear [thongs], then you need something with a bit of arch support in it.
“There’s a product called Ozify Australia that actually has that support.”
So there you have it. We now all have to go barefoot.
