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 (those born between 1995 and 2009) and Millennials (1982 to 1994) seems to be ever widening. Gen Z is the first generation to use the palm of their entire hand instead of their pinky and thumb to pretend to be speaking on 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-waist 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-’00s 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.

Kate Moss in 2003

Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Anna Winter with leggings and Ugg boots

Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images

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 the Ugg boots 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.

Amalie Gassmann at Paris Fashion Week

Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images

Elsa Hosk with Ugg clogs

Gotham

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.