Battle of the boots turns Ugglier

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Ugg fans should look away now. There is a new contender for this winter's hottest boot. It will even keep your feet dry. Snowjoggers, which hail from Denmark via the trend-setting streets of Los Angeles, are tipped as the latest footwear phenomenon.

Grazia, the weekly shopping bible, was among the first magazines to predict Snowjoggers would be "this winter's most-wanted snuggly boot" but Marie Claire, Glamour and top teen read Sugar have followed suit. Already white and brown versions have sold out on Asos.com, the online shopping site that features items worn by celebrities.

West Coast fans include Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Victoria Beckham and Liv Tyler. Over here, Sienna Miller is an early convert. "Snowjoggers are destined to be this season's shopping heartbreaker, selling out everywhere," said Angela Buttolph, Grazia contributing editor. Grazia's favourite is a black patent version, although Snowjoggers come in a rainbow of colours from metallic burgundy to gold.

The brainchild of a Danish-born designer, Eik Braun Ottosen, Snowjoggers are a hybrid moonboot-cum-trainer. They tick the catwalk-inspired padded clothing box that is big this winter. They also tap into the shopping-with-a-conscience trend as his company Rubber Duck gives profits back to the Bangladeshi women who make them.

But retail experts predict Ugg boots are unlikely to capitulate quickly. After shortages last winter, sales are exploding. AMG, Ugg's Scottish-based UK distributor, has almost doubled its sales this year to 120,000 pairs, while Kate Kuba, the shoe chain that first stocked the brand in the UK, said its sales were up 400 per cent. Cos Constantinou, owner of Kate Kuba, said: "Ugg is now a perma-trend. They are no longer a fashion item but a staple part of the winter wardrobe. I can't see that changing." The Classic Tall black pair and a wedge-heeled chocolate brown version are the current bestsellers.