Talia Byre transformed the UGG into next summer’s hottest shoe

The classic shearling UGG has come a long way from the wildly classist ‘slag welly’ stereotype, which took aim at the regional British girlies who matched their heavily-worn boots with a Juicy tracksuit and a vast number of products from the Mac make-up counter in the mid 2000s. Although that’s an iconic look in itself – speaking as someone who proudly grew up in Hull, East Yorkshire, where the combo was rife – in the time since, the Californian company has gone on to secure its position within ‘high’ fashion through a series of killer collabs. 

First to reappropriate the cult shoe was Y/Project, with Glenn Martens turning it into a cunty thigh-high number at his AW18 show in Paris (Rihanna was a fan). Soon after came Telfar Clemens, who linked up with Ugg to cosy up his signature cult Shopping Bag, and Eckhaus Latta, who sent chunky heeled clogs stomping down the runway. Further special collections have also been put forward by Molly Goddard, Denim Tears, Collina Strada, and Ambush’s Yoon Ahn, who just dropped a faux fur stiletto heel for the new season.

Most recently, though, at London Fashion Week, we got a glimpse of the next name Ugg set its sights on: Talia Byre. Across the course of the last couple of years, the Warrington-born, London-based designer has been making a name for herself with her slinky, sensual design, which incorporates offbeat twisted tailoring, kooky little party dresses, and uber-covetable accessories. Citing diverse references spanning everything from Dennis The Menace, to obscure artists, to the girlies who spend their Friday nights downing dirty martinis in the Barbican’s dedicated, dimly-lit bar, as part of her SS26 show, which took over the top floor of a South London gallery, she reappraised and reappropriated the UGG boot in her own considered way.

“We were thinking a lot about the home and home comforts,” the designer explained shortly before the show. “A big inspiration this season came from Deborah Levy’s book Real Estate.” The novel explores the home beyond the idea of just physical space and dives into Levy’s longing for a place to call her own – which is a relatable subject for many of us given the state of the housing market – and tackles the patriarchy’s place in imposing this ideal on us. Translated into clothes, it saw Byre turn out more of her easy-to-wear pieces, this time taking the form of blown up, Borrower-proportioned rugby shirts, slouchy boiler suits with rolled up hems, and a swathe of cosy knits that came layered over slinky body suits

The UGGs, meanwhile, came as little slipper flats, in black leather and classic suede, trimmed with soft shearling, as well as new takes that incorporated the metal stud detailing emblematic of Byre’s signature Bolter bag. At the more avant-garde end of the scale was a furry ankle boot, which called to mind the OG style, only with an elongated silhouette and way more shearling. “We all have a relationship with UGGs going back years,” says Byre of the collab. “It was so fab to get to reimagine them in our own way.” The whole collection will drop early 2026 – click through the gallery above for a closer look.