After four years of sweat-inducing foot-sweat-inducing domination, the Ugg boot was finally usurped as fashion's favorite ugly shoe. In its place came a new contender that turned celebrities like Zendaya, Katie Holmes, Gigi Hadid, and Kaia Gerber into diehard fans. Birkenstock, the humble cork-soled German clog and sandal company, is quietly gunning for your heart and a place in your closet.

Ugg's trendy platform styles and shearling-lined slippers quickly boomed during and after the pandemic. Gradually fueled by lucrative collaborations with Manolo Blahnik, Jil Sander, Proenza Schooler, Rick Owens, Staud, Tekla, and others, it now seems poised to claim its rightful place on the ugly shoe throne.

Katie Holmes, a Dawson's Creek native, initially got her Birkenstock in 2020. Four years later, she appears to be wearing the same black sandals with silver buckles. But the Broadway star has taken to styling her slides more elegantly, and in April, the 46-year-old street-style muse showed that the Arizona Bilko Flow can be business casual in a light blue button-up and baggy ivory pants. clearly demonstrated that the Arizona Bilko Flow can also be business casual.

Gigi Hadid may be the biggest fan of Birkenstock clogs. She has worn them in public at least four times this year, starting with a comfortable outfit she devised for an April sleepover at Bradley Cooper's apartment in New York City; in July, she walked around Soho in sweatpants with Cooper and her favorite yellow Miu Miu bag. Cooper and his favorite yellow Miu Miu bag. Later that month, she wore a blue Recianebo trench coat, a teal crop top, butter yellow loungewear pants from her cashmere wear line Guest in Residence, and yet another pair of clogs, this time in the brand's mink color, in Manhattan She was photographed leaving a photo shoot in

Hadid did not retire her mules when summer ended. In fact, her favorite pair appeared not once, but twice in the fall, after packing them for an October trip to California, where the knitwear maven famously made her year-long relationship with Cooper Erewhon official with the cutest They brought these shoes back to town for a couple style moment, and in November, they bonded in matching cherry red outfits, he in sneakers and she in beige Birkenstocks.

Matching Birkenstocks became a fixture in Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler's relationship late last year; the two have probably broken up, but Gerber's relationship with her Boston clogs is still ongoing. She also got a white pair with shearling lining, perfect for taking ballet class in the winter.

Daisy Edgar-Jones shares a similar attitude when it comes to the seasonality of Birkenstock sandals: in December, the Twisters star made her attitude clear when she paired her Mango wrap coat with black Birkenstock Arizona sandals and matching black socks paired with a pair of black Birkenstock Arizona sandals and matching black socks, making her stance clear.

For years, the socks-and-sandals debate relegated the look to the realm of grandfatherly fashion faux pas, along with fanny packs and the subsequently revived boat shoes. However, thanks to the rise of eclectic grandfather style, it appears that justice has finally been done to the sock and sandal trend. Ashley Olsen also endorsed the controversial combination of a navy coat, Celine slides, and white cashmere socks around November 2023.

Fashion pioneer Zendaya did not have to worry about the weather resistance of her black suede Birkenstocks after they landed in New York for the 2024 Gotham Awards. Why, because the Challengers star had both the courage and the foresight to accessorize her airport attire with a Louis Vuitton bag and a shearling-lined, closed-toe London model in one of the German brand's most intimidating styles.

More like a bootie than a clog, the London is the sister-in-law of this year's ugly shoe. But if Miss Z decides it deserves it, the London loafer trend will be here next year. Case in point: a collaboration between Japanese brand BEAMS and Birkenstock, which already gave the shoe its first makeover in September.

With the London loafer on the horizon, Selena Gomez has your freaky Birkenstock needs covered with a maximalist pair of Arizona sandals. Covered in black shearling and squeezed with an oversized gold buckle, these classic slides are clearly inspired by the resurgence of the teddy coat trend. But rather than doubling down on the fuzzy texture, the newly engaged billionaire balanced the slip-on style with a sleek leather jacket and an understated Prada belt bag for a Black Friday shopping spree with his sister.

So wear your ugly shoes with pride. You have my permission and the clear endorsement of your favorite celebrities.