'Prime minister boots' are back: UGG rides a long winter wave

The "prime minister boots" are back. Shearling boots have cemented their place as a winter essential, with demand spreading evenly across short boots, slippers and slip-ons — and now extending to calf-high styles that encase the leg.

Industry sources said Thursday that shearling boots have moved beyond a passing trend to become a winter fashion staple, with shoppers now choosing among lengths and designs to suit their own taste. This winter, attention has shifted toward knee-length tall boots, following the earlier popularity of shearling slippers, ankle-length short boots and slip-ons. The calf-wrapping style once drew comparisons to footwear worn by Joseon-era officials, earning the nickname "yeong-uijeong (prime minister) boots," but it has since emerged as one of the season's most sought-after items.

UGG, imported and distributed in South Korea by Shinsegae International, posted sales growth of 36.6 percent year-on-year for the January–October period this year. The Ultra Tall — a new addition to the UGG Classic boot line and its longest silhouette — surpassed a 65 percent sell-through rate within a month of going on sale in late September. In the fashion industry, a sell-through rate of 70 to 80 percent is generally considered a sellout.

UGG appointed Jang Won-young of K-pop group IVE as its brand ambassador in September. Sales of women's fall-winter products released afterward rose 21 percent year-on-year. The Enwrap Clog, worn by Jang in a campaign shoot, recorded an 83 percent sell-through rate.

The UGG boom is playing out on fashion platforms as well. According to Musinsa, transactions in the padded and fur boots category surged 47 percent year-on-year over the two weeks from Oct. 21 to Tuesday. During the same period, sales of mini and short UGG boots rose 39 percent, while overall shearling boot transactions climbed 14 percent.

Search volume also jumped. Searches for the "UGG Tasman" — a hybrid between a slipper and a boot — rose 31 percent year-on-year, while searches for "long UGG" increased roughly 13-fold.

On Musinsa's sister platform 29CM, total UGG boot transactions over the same period more than doubled, rising over 117 percent year-on-year, and shearling boot sales grew 64 percent. A Musinsa official attributed the gains to an early cold snap pulling forward demand for warm footwear, as well as shearling boots becoming a daily-wear item that delivers both insulation and style.

Musinsa is running a UGG pop-up store, "FEELS LIKE NOTHING ELSE," at Musinsa Kicks Hongdae from Monday through Nov. 21, where shoppers can try on key fall-winter products and compare fit and silhouette in person.

"UGG boots have become a winter wardrobe basic, so owning at least one pair is a given — and the trend now is to add a second in a different style, whether a longer length, a slipper, a slip-on or a Mary Jane, depending on personal taste," one industry official said. "Demand will only grow as the weather gets colder."