September 29, 2025 by Katie Plue (‘27)
With fall of 2025 in full swing, students are in school and trying to put together outfits that make it bearable to leave the house when it’s 60 degrees at seven in the morning. However, there is a hard decision we all have to make before we walk out the door: Uggs or Birkenstocks?
If you’re anything like me, you are constantly stuck between the two. You want something for the new season but don’t know which one to spend your next week’s paycheck on. Both brands have styles popular for the fall that you have probably seen around; in fact, it’d be impressive if you haven’t. UGG has mini boots, Tasmans, slippers, and all these options again, but they are $20 more expensive and with a platform. Birkenstock has the Boston clog.
During the holidays, you will find that UGGs are consistently sold out and are a very popular Christmas gift. Birkenstocks have a similar situation, but their explosive popularity has been more recent. If you go out looking for the Boston clogs, you will find that they are sold out everywhere. That was my situation last weekend, where I may or may not have driven to 3 different places, including L.L. Bean and Macy’s, looking for said clogs, but that’s beside the point.
On the official UGG website, the famous Ultra Mini Boot is priced at $160, with 6 different colors. On the official Birkenstock website, the Boston Soft Footbed clog is priced at $169.95, with 13 different colors.
Stylistically and price-wise, they are both similar, and students apparently feel the same way. “Birkenstocks are more versatile,” said Riley Marx, a senior at Saratoga Springs High School (SSHS). Molly Fitch, a junior at SSHS, has a similar opinion, as she claimed that “Uggs get trashed easily.”
On the contrary, other students said something different and prefer Uggs over Birkenstocks. Abigail Tonaski, an SSHS junior, likes Uggs because you can “wear them in the winter,” and they are “more comfortable.”
So, if you’re still looking to answer the question “What’s in?” It’s both! People are wearing both last year’s classic UGGs and new-found Birkenstocks to be as comfy and cute as they can this fall. If you figure out which one I should get, let me know.