23 December 2009

Snapshot Tuesday 22.12.2009


Vivienne Westwood lust
Grizzly bear hair
Changing my nail varnish again!
Roger Rabbit
Chocolate croissants

22 December 2009

The big Ugg debate: Whooga vs Ugg (The Whooga review)

Giulia Gasparini

After five years of loyal service I decided it was time to replace my old UGG boots, no matter what anyone says and how unattractive these shoes may be they’re extremely comfy and a must for winter weather, especially with the recent snow we've had.

While searching for a new pair I stumbled across a brand of Ugg boots called Whooga. Whooga are said to be the main competitor of UGG Australia and claim to be superior in comfort and quality to the standard Ugg boots as well as being lower in price. Having tried cheaper brands of Ugg boots before and finding their quality below par I read all the information and testimonials provided on the Whooga website and searched blogs for reviews and found some very happy customers.

Miss Gala Darling wearing Whooga boots

I ordered a pair from their website and was promptly emailed back with a confirmation of my order and a PDF to read full of information on the brand and how to take care of your boots, Whooga also offer a cleaning and repair service for your boots after purchase which I think is a great added touch, especially if you're like me and tend to "overwear" your uggs.

This next point can be a bit confusing as the Whooga Company is based in Australia and any contact made with them is in Australia HOWEVER the boots themselves are manufactured and shipped directly from China. The company has their own reasons for this which you can find on their website. I admit I was slightly confused when the package arrived to me from China but my main complaint was with their choice of packaging.


The boots come in an adorable Whooga box which is a big plus to me, anything pretty with bows on gets my vote HOWEVER the box was damaged in transit due to the flimsy packaging, it was basically shipped in a dust bag covered in brown tape which provided no security in transit.





I contacted Whooga to tell them I was unhappy with the packaging, I stated that the box was damaged in transit and the lid ripped at every corner so I was unable to close it and as these boots were intended to be gifted to me they didn’t exactly look in pristine gift giving condition. Whooga promptly contacted me back and issued me with a 15% refund by way of apology and to purchase a new box for them which I thought was a very kind gesture of them. I do hope that in future they think about shipping their boxes in a more secure manner as it seems such a shame that the boxes should get damaged in transit after they’re so prettily designed but we’ll see...



My second complaint with them was the overwhelming chemical smell that they had, being shipped directly from the factory I doubt they had time to breathe before they were packaged up and sent. I’m guessing the smell was caused by the glue they used on their soles as there was some slight residue on them


I eventually had to move them into an empty room and open the windows to air the smell out as it was so strong it was beginning to make me feel ill.



To show you the quality of these boots I’m going to compare them to my short chestnut UGG Australia boots (not my old ones), now I have had these boots for a few years and they have been worn but they’re still in reasonably good condition so that’s why I’m using them for comparison.

Whooga make a lot of comparisons on their website to illustrate their superior quality to standard boots which you can read about here [Link] they also show pictures of their boots compared to others to show this, the following are pictures taken from their website compared with my own comparison of the Whooga and UGG Australia boots.

 


I leave you guys to make your mind up about them but as you can see there is actually very little difference between Whooga and UGG Australia, I found the comfort level exactly the same although the Whooga boots were slightly tighter on my feet but I think that’s more or less due to the fact that they’re new.




One thing I did notice is that the soles of the Whooga boots is slightly thinner than my Ugg Australia boots, both are quite thick and durable so I don’t expect them wear out anytime soon but that’s one of the differences that I noted between them.
 
In general I’d say if you’re looking to buy a pair of Ugg boots this winter and you can’t afford a pair of Ugg Australia boots than Whooga are the way to go. While I wasn’t too happy with the shipping I’m very happy with the customer service and the boots themselves, they’re very comfy and will serve me well this winter.



Tips

When buying Ugg boots make sure they’re made from real sheepskin as they will give you a more superior comfort and durability than synthetic Ugg boots.

Be sure to treat your boots with a stain repellent or sheepskin protector. You can now buy kits from UGG Australia specifically designed for this. You’ll only need to treat your boots once a month (if that) and you’ll get a lot longer lasting wear out of them than you would if left untreated.

Try not to wear these boots in the rain they’re not designed for wet weather! You’re better off wearing wellies if it’s wet outside as they will keep your feet dryer than Uggs will.

Stuff your boots with newspaper when you aren’t wearing them as this will help them keep their shape.

Don’t wear socks or tights as your feet will suffocate! Let you toes feel that fleecy softness it’s almost like having your feet hugged by a big grizzly bear

10 December 2009

I got a new hat today

I'm currently obsessed with the colour purple.

Hat from M&S
UP pin from Disney