On my walk to class, one rather chilly November morning, I tugged my North Face fleece closer to me, thankful that I decided to put it on before leaving my room, when I noticed a girl walking in front of me, also shivering in the fall chill.

But as I continued to take into account the girl walking before me, I couldn’t help but gape at her outfit chosen for a day in late fall, a long-sleeved polo shirt, a short ripped-off jean skirt (typical Abercrombie cut-off style) and then I saw them – Ugg boots.

Ugg boots, a common item found in the closets of female Villanova students, area fashion trend which have left me frustrated as a fashionista.

A girl, on a cold morning, is wearing snow boots with a ripped-off jean skirt? That is a walking oxymoron at its finest. I am familiar with the phrase “It takes pain to be beautiful,” and I myself continue to wear skirts in cold weather, because as a girl sometimes you have to freeze a little to look your finest.

But Ugg snow boots – shoes which are intended to keep feet warm and comfortable in winter weather – do not complement miniskirts.

I understand that Ugg boots are ridiculously comfortable; some might even call them adorable, two great features for footwear worn by a college student scampering about campus in harsh winter weather.

But Uggs are seen on ladies feet as early as September, when there is barely a leaf on the ground, let alone a forecast of flurries.

The thing about Ugg boots which truly hits a nerve for me is that they aren’t even waterproof! Snow boots that don’t resist water?

I understand that women wearing these shoes have no concern for practicality when purchasing footwear. Women also wear stiletto heels and strappy sandals when the weather would suggest otherwise — why not snow boots too?

But heels and sandals have never been meant to keep feet warm or comfortable; they’ve always been about look, style, and sexiness. Snow boots were invented to protect feet in winter conditions.

I know plenty of girls who buy Ugg boots, wear them in the snow, and complain that they have been ruined because the shoes are not water resistant.

How can it be that one buys snow boots only to ruin them while wearing them in the snow?

It’s understandable for lady Wildcats to prefer Uggs over other brands of snow boots, like Sporto and Columbia, which look more like a lumberjack’s shoe for a night on the town.

I just can’t understand buying and wearing shoes intended for the wear and tear of winter weather that can’t even withstand a light snowfall.

As if the original style of Ugg boots weren’t enough, now the line has branched out to various styles adorned with “fluff” such as fur trim or even boots, to the knee, completely covered in fur.

The “fluff” style of Ugg boots is by far the worst; girls walking on campus complete their outfits with what looks like a dead animal dangling from their leg.

Also, the “fluff” style, with all that animal hair, is once again not conducive for enduring winter storms.

Now, thinking about the impracticality of Ugg boots, I guess I can understand why girls begin wearing them as early as September – girls want to have a chance to strut through campus in their stylish no-purpose winter footwear before the big storms actually hit.