Uggs are back in style — but are the boots good for your feet? Here's what experts say.

Few brands of shoe are as notoriously cozy as Ugg. Founded in 1978, the Australian brand of sheepskin footwear was once most popular among surfers, who would slip the wool-lined shoes on after time spent in the ocean.

While the brand, famous for its rounded toe, has been mocked over the years as a staple of "basic fashion" (perhaps worn by a woman in a North Face jacket and black leggings, who is perhaps carrying a Starbucks cup), Ugg has since come back around in style. Lyst, a fashion technology company and premium shopping app, declared the Ugg Taz slipper as one of the hottest items of 2022. Stars like Dua Lipa and Kendall Jenner proudly rocked sheepskin shoes from the brand this year as well. Recently, Ugg updated its classic look by adding a high platform to its "mini" Ugg boots — elevating its look, literally, for today's fashion lovers.

Yet while the brand may be enjoying another round of popularity, there is one question: Are these shoes, which lack structural support, actually good for your feet?

Yolanda Ragland, a New York City-based podiatrist and the founder and CEO of FixYourFeet.com tells Yahoo Life that she recommends the fluffy fleece-lined shoes to her post-operative patients.

"The Ugg boot has a wide and high toe box, they're soft and plush inside, and they have give, or can stretch, making them excellent transitional footwear for people who just had elective foot surgery and require a shoe or boot they can tolerate wearing until the discomfort from swelling resolves," she explains.

However, while they may be ideal for post-surgery, she cautions that people should "not wear them all day, every day."

"They have no arch support and since they are so soft the boot does not offer much ankle stability," she explains. "Yet they're great for cold dry days when you want to look a little comfy and cool."

Ragland also cautions people about wearing Uggs with a platform.

"The uniformity of height or the platform, although aesthetically pleasing to the eye, may result in injury and dysfunction of the foot and ankle. I would have preferred to see a slight incline in the heel or even just an arch support on the inner sole of the boot," she says.

Arizona-based functional podiatrist Emily Splichal adds that there's "no element of control" with Uggs, which can be important to consider for certain foot types.

"I've seen people walk on the inside of their foot…it's like they slide off the base of the Ugg boot," she says. "Having said that, I am not a big proponent of arch support on every shoe in general, because many foot types have the capacity to control themselves mechanically and do not need to have arch support unnecessarily."

She notes, however, that adding platforms to Uggs can increase the risk for everyone, adding, "Anything that takes you further away from the ground, like a platform, increases instability because you're just further from your base of support, so I, personally, am not a fan."

Yahoo Life reached out to Ugg for comment but did not receive a response.

One other element beyond structure to consider with Uggs is the shoe's potential to breed bacteria in the soft insole. This is especially true as Uggs are often not worn with socks, due to the wool lining.

"If your feet are sweating in a contained environment, that's where you start to get bacteria — it can support fungal infections. If you're not washing the boot, you're trapping that bacteria and fungal infections. I would make sure the Uggs are cleaned properly — at the beginning of the season, you can clean the inside of the boots, or use an anti-fungal spray or powders," Splichal says.

Ugg sells its own product, called Ugg Shoe Renew, to deodorize insoles. For sheepskin products, the brand recommends spraying into each shoe to prevent odor, while shoes without the sheepskin insole should wipe the product away before wearing.

Yet there are ways to combat any bacterial issues while wearing Uggs. Splichal admits she often goes sock-free in her own pair of Uggs as they are comfortable enough to do so, but points out, "If you wear a Merino wool sock that is really good at absorbing the sweat and moisture, you can combat that. Then, you would just wash the sock to prevent [bacteria] from getting into the boot."

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