Tell Me How You Wear UGG Boots, and I'll Tell You What Generation You Belong To

How do you wear your UGG boots? Perhaps the better question is: When were you born?

The generation gap between Gen Z (that is, those born between 1995-2009) and Millennials (1982-1994) seems to be ever widening. Gen Z is the first generation to the palm of their entire hand instead of their pinky and thumb to pretend to answer the phone. You'd be hard pressed to find a single Millennial who makes that gesture instinctively. They also have to make a real effort to create a heart with their index and middle fingers instead of both hands in the shape of a C, unlike Gen Z. On Team Millennial, you've got skinny jeans or high-waisted denim and side parts; for Gen Z, it's baggy pants and a middle part.

Then there are the trends that give away your age simply in how you wear them. Take socks, for example: The Millennial urge to hide their socks has been overtaken by Gen Z's inclination to show them off with their Adidas Sambas or Puma Speedcats.

It seems UGG boots are the latest closet staple to be subjected to this style of debate. Apparently, how you style them—whether you tuck your pants inside or not—can easily reveal how old you are.

How to wear UGG boots, according to millennials

In the mid-2000s everyone wore their pants, whether they were jeans or not, tucked inside the Australian boots. Celebrity sites were filled with pictures of Blake Lively wearing hers on the set of Gossip Girl and Kate Moss on her outings in London. In the era of skinny jeans, it was kind of the only option.

How to wear UGG boots, according to Gen Z

In 2024, the styling of UGG boots has changed substantially just like so many other closet staples. Now white socks are pulled up to the top, even over your leggings; a basic T-shirt is always worn outside the pants; and pants are worn outside of an UGG boot or, at most, in a halfway French tuck (tucked in the front, loose in the back). Naturally, platform styles have taken off as a result to keep the pants from dragging too much.

Our take? All trends are cyclical—just as soon as we start wearing our pants outside of our UGG boots, Gen Alpha will have an entirely new take. Maybe they'll bring the tuck back, or retire the shoe entirely. Life is short; go with whatever feels right to you.

A version of this post was previously published in Glamour Spain.