By Rifan Muazin 
Over the last couple of decades, Ugg’s ubiquitous fluffy boot-slipper hybrids have had the kind of trajectory that lesser footwear brands dream of, evolving from a niche functional item to a global cultural phenomenon that spans the spectrum from suburban comfort to high-fashion runway status. After the style first gained popularity among surfers in the 1970s—men and women in need of rugged, insulated shoes that would keep their feet warm and dry after a day of pounding the cold Pacific waves—Uggs hit the mainstream big time in the early 2000s. During that era, they became the definitive “It” shoe for a generation of Valley Girls and celebrity starlets who paired the slouchy, chestnut-colored boots with denim mini-skirts and velour track jackets, creating an aesthetic that defined a decade of paparazzi culture.
Twenty-odd years later, the brand that was famously banned from Christopher Nolan’s film sets for being too distracting has matured into a sophisticated fashion powerhouse. It has successfully diversified its portfolio through a string of wild, high-concept collaborations with heavyweight names in the industry, including Tremaine Emory of Denim Tears and the avant-garde Telfar Clemens. However, its new team-up with Willy Chavarria, the 2023 CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year, might be its biggest and most provocative swing yet. By merging Ugg’s signature comfort with Chavarria’s gritty, sociopolitical, and Latino-inflected design language, the collaboration challenges the very identity of the sheepskin boot.
“I love that surfer vibe. Are you kidding? I’m crazy for that surfer vibe. I love it. I love it,” Chavarria says, acknowledging the heritage that built the brand. “But I wanted to just have a totally opposite perspective.” In Chavarria’s mind, the antithesis of the laid-back, sun-drenched California surfer is the rugged, leather-clad biker. This ideological shift replaces longboards and Frappuccinos with heavy machinery and asphalt. Chavarria’s designs flip the script entirely, reimagining the unmistakable silhouette of Ugg’s suede boots in brawny, brooding black leather that feels more at home in a garage than a beach house.
The collection consists of five distinct pieces, each a study in the duality of hardness and softness. The tallest and most formidable among them is the Guard Boot, a silhouette that demands attention with its heavy-duty moto details. It features a molded toe cap, a protective shin guard, and functional pull-on handles, moving the Ugg aesthetic toward the realm of tactical gear. The mid-calf offerings—the Biker and the Relaxed—along with the ankle-framing Otzo clog, are draped in slouchy, premium leather and fitted with polished chrome hardware that catches the light like a custom exhaust pipe. Even the most domestic item in the collection, a blacked-out pair of hotel slippers, receives the Chavarria treatment, featuring the designer’s crest in fiery red embroidery. Despite the exterior toughening, each pair remains true to the brand’s core promise, featuring Ugg’s signature plush sheepskin lining that provides the "cloud-like" feeling users have come to expect.
This collection is deeply rooted in Chavarria’s specific vision of America—one that is unapologetically Latino and shaped by the realities of the working class. Much of the inspiration stems from his upbringing in the San Joaquin Valley of California, a region where the presence of the Mongols Motorcycle Club was a fixture of the social landscape. For Chavarria, the club represented a unique form of masculinity and community. “They were rowdy and fun, and all the girls were really hot. And the guys were beastly. And I just thought it was like such a cool vibe,” Chavarria recalls. This "beastly" aesthetic is translated into the footwear through exaggerated proportions and a dark, monochromatic color palette, stripping away the "cutesy" connotations often associated with sheepskin boots.
To accompany the launch of the collection, Chavarria and Ugg produced a cheeky, high-production campaign titled Ugg and Kisses. The campaign serves as a playful, culturally resonant spoof of the iconic 1990s working-class sitcom Married… With Children. However, in this reimagining, the original Bundy family cast is replaced by a powerhouse lineup of beloved Latin artists and cultural icons. The "family" features actress and director Eva Longoria, legendary "tough guy" actor Danny Trejo, global pop star Becky G, and rising regional Mexican music sensation Ivan Cornejo.
The choice of a sitcom format is a deliberate move by Chavarria to highlight the universality of family dynamics while centering the Latino experience in a medium that historically excluded it. “I think that idea of the sitcom family is transcultural,” Chavarria explains. “In the United States, it hits on a very familiar chord that all families can relate to.” By casting Danny Trejo—an actor known for his gritty roles in films like Machete—as a domestic patriarch in a pair of luxury leather Uggs, Chavarria subverts expectations and injects a sense of humor and warmth into the brand’s new, tougher image.
The campaign imagery, captured with a nostalgic multi-camera sitcom glow, shows the stars lounging on plastic-covered sofas and interacting in a living room set that feels both specific to the Chicano experience and broadly American. Eva Longoria brings a sense of high-fashion glamour to the "housewife" archetype, while Becky G and Ivan Cornejo represent the modern youth culture that has helped propel Ugg back into the fashion zeitgeist through TikTok and Instagram. This blending of generations and artistic disciplines mirrors the way the footwear itself blends different cultural histories.
Analyzing the broader market context, this collaboration arrives at a time when Ugg is experiencing a massive resurgence. After years of being relegated to the "uncool" category by fashion purists, the brand has successfully leaned into the "ugly-chic" trend that has dominated the industry. By partnering with Chavarria, Ugg is not just selling a product; it is engaging with a designer who is currently one of the most influential voices in menswear. Chavarria’s work frequently explores themes of labor, religion, and Chicano identity, and by bringing these themes to a mainstream brand like Ugg, he is effectively "Latinizing" a quintessential piece of American footwear.
The technical execution of the collection also warrants attention. Transitioning from the traditional Twinface sheepskin (where the wool is on the inside and the suede is on the outside) to heavy-duty leather requires a different approach to construction. The leather used in the Guard and Biker boots is treated to be durable and water-resistant, making them more practical for urban environments and inclement weather than their suede predecessors. The chrome hardware is not merely decorative; it provides structural reinforcement to the slouchier silhouettes, ensuring the boots maintain their shape over time.
For Ugg, this partnership is a masterclass in brand evolution. It allows the company to maintain its grip on the comfort market while simultaneously appealing to the "hypebeast" and luxury consumer. The price points reflect this elevated positioning: the leather hotel slippers are priced at $190, while the top-of-the-line Guard Boot reaches $800. These figures place the collection firmly in the luxury footwear category, competing with brands like Balenciaga or Rick Owens rather than the standard mall-tier offerings.
The result is a collaboration and a campaign that, like all of Chavarria’s work, is defined by dualities. It doesn’t try to solve the contradictions of the modern fashion landscape; instead, it presents its incongruous connotations—outlaw bikers, SoCal surfers, and the "VSCO girl" legacy—with a sense of humor, pride, and joy. It acknowledges the past while aggressively carving out a new future for the brand.
Ultimately, the Ugg x Willy Chavarria collection proves that even the most established icons can be reinvented when viewed through a different cultural lens. By trading the beach for the barrio and the surfboard for the chopper, Chavarria has given the world a version of Ugg that is as tough as it is "hella cozy." The full collection is set to drop on September 10, and if the buzz surrounding the Ugg and Kisses campaign is any indication, it is poised to be one of the most talked-about releases of the year, further cementing both Ugg and Willy Chavarria as dominant forces in the contemporary fashion narrative.
