We didn’t think men were into UGG boots, but apparently they are — so much so that the California shoemaker just launched its first UGG for Men store on New York City’s Madison Avenue. The shop stocks footwear (with and without the trademark shearling), outerwear, accessories and a collection of leather items for dudes. On hand at last week’s grand opening was the new face of UGG for Men, Patriots quarterback (and self-proclaimed “slipper guy”) Tom Brady, who sang to us his praises for manly UGGs.
We tend to think of UGGs as women’s shoes. How did this collaboration come about?
I had the slippers for a long time, all through college. It’s a California brand, [and since] I was a California kid, I had known something about it. When [the UGG team] came to [Brady and his team] a few years ago and said, “This is what we’re launching, do you guys wanna be a part of it?” we jumped right in. There’s so many different products. It is a cool brand, and it’s a lot of fun to be a part of something that’s really grown as much as it has over the last few years.
Where do you wear your UGGs?
I wear them all the time: to stadiums, to work, I wear them out at night with friends — not the slippers, obviously, but there’s quite a few other products that really go well at night. Especially at the football stadium: I’ve given away a lot of slippers over the years to teammates. When you walk in in the morning and half the team’s wearing the slippers that you gave them, it’s pretty cool.
Gotta ask you about your Met Gala hairdo — it got some mixed reactions. Whose idea was it?
It was kind of my idea. Honestly, I don’t take it super seriously. I had a few friends who were really mad at me, like, “What are you doing?” [Laughs] I laugh it off. I had fun with it. It was a fun night. At some point you just have to say, “Whatever you’re comfortable with doing, enjoy it.”
Will you grow your hair long again?
I don’t know, I like to keep changing it. It’s fun. Guys can do that — it’s a little easier for us than the girls.
