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Kristine Solomon

The Teva x Ugg Line Might Be the Most Divisive Shoes of Our Time

Kristine Solomon
A model jumps while wearing clunky, white sandals.
No one knows quite what to make of the Teva x Ugg offerings. (Photo: Instagram/Ugg)

So you thought Ugg boots were controversial? We present to you Teva x Ugg, a new limited-edition and highly curious-looking footwear line that has the Internet baffled.

Teva x Ugg is a collaboration between brands Teva and Ugg, both divisions of their parent company, Deckers Brands. The curious-looking footwear consists of “two signature styles,” as the companies announced in a press release: the more casual sandal and the mid-calf hybrid boot. Both models incorporate Teva’s “iconic universal strapping system and Hurricane sandal footbed” and Ugg’s “plush sheepskin” and “innovative UGGpure wool.” And both look like a cross between a medical boot and a moon boot.

Reactions have been split between “huh?” and “aha!” with the former camp trying their best to “roast” the identity-crisis shoes with funny/confused tweets.

Those who like the shoes seem alternately apologetic and unabashedly proud — but perhaps it’s sarcastic? Hard to tell.

And for a third sartorial faction, the jury is still out.

Teva and Ugg, for their part, have done nothing but confuse us further with overly wordy descriptions of their new designs and inspirations. “Delivering quirky-cool hybrids that are designed to take on the urban trail, the Teva x UGG? collection comes from two brands that were born from the water and evolved in different directions, combining the legendary river utility of Teva and the surf inspired beach-chic coastal ease of UGG?,” the brands announced. “Conceived at the intersection of fashion and function, the collaboration encompasses a bold offering tailor-made for the tastemaker who seeks an extra dose of style in their daily adventures.”

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The puzzling shoes are available in “highly wearable hues” that include Black Iris, Dark Gull Gray, White, Navy, and Burnt Olive. The Sandal retails for $175, while the Hybrid is a cool $225.

Decker Brands stands confidently behind its bold new launch. “The Teva x UGG collaboration allows us to celebrate expression of freedom while showcasing the innovation that is infused into each of our products,” says Wendy Yang, president of the Performance Lifestyle Group at Deckers Brands, in the press release. “With this collaboration, we wanted to fuse the most iconic and loved elements from both brands and deliver them in a contemporary collection for the modern consumer.”

Time will tell whether the Teva x Ugg trend will take off, but historically, we’ve learned that any publicity is good publicity when it comes to controversial shoe style (we’re looking at you, Crocs). Plus, the collaboration’s tagline is “Suspend your disbelief,” according to its website. In the meantime, let’s all enjoy the myriad social media reactions. If nothing else, we have comedy gold.

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