Do you want the famed comfort of UGGs in the summer without getting too toasty? UGG makes some terrific men’s and women’s sandals for the summer season that allow you to stay UGG-y while letting your toes see some much deserved sunshine. The Women’s Hamoa, pictured above has a sheepskin lining on the foot-top strap, which is oh so comfy and the Men’s Bennison pictured below is perhaps the cushiest men’s flip-flop in the land.

Meet the UGG Lo Pro Button, a summery new UGG that is a little bit lighter than its fully sheepskin lined counterparts. It has a light and breathable cotton jersey knit material on the upper and a sheepskin sock liner on the bottom to keep feet cozy, but never ever sweaty. Sheepskin is a natural fibre that wicks away moisture from your tootises, so fear not, you don’t have to give up UGGs for the summer. Another fancy little feature about this newcomer is if you decide to unbutton the boot and fold it over there is a nice pink striped pattern on the inside. Oo la la.

If you’ve need an excuse to enter the Your Boots contest at Blundstone.ca for the trip to Tasmania – besides the scenery, the air, or the wildlife – then here’s one: the unusual history. A prime example would be the naming of the Hazard Mountain Range in Freycinet National park, and how it came to be named after a wily ship’s captain called Richard “Blackie” Hazard.

Story has it he was a former convict who, having served his time, scraped together some money to buy himself a rickety old ship and began ferrying supplies to British whaling camps from the mainland. One evening while making a delivery his ship hit a coral reef and, being the bucket that it was, sank almost instantly. Capt Hazard and all of his men managed to swim to a small island close-by, but once there they realized that there was little in the way of food, water or shelter. Knowing that none of them would last long under the hot Australian sun once it came up the next day, Hazard then did an extraordinary thing: he took off his boots, jumped back into the ocean and swam for land, which was over a kilometer away through dark, shark-infested water. Once ashore, he then ran all night – barefoot – over the mountains and into town to raise the alarm. Miraculously, they were able to save all of his men the next morning, and, because of this insane act of courage, they chose to name the mountain range after him.

This story was told to me with a straight face by a tour guide while we hiked through the mountains, who swore that every word of it was true; given how strange and wonderful Australia is, I don’t doubt it.

- Casey

I learned something while I was in Tasmania. The Tasmanian Devil is on the endangered species list, and are expected to be extinct in the next 10 – 25 years. They are dealing with a communicable disease, called Devils Facial Tumour Disease. it’s essentaily a form of cancer that is transfered by contact between animals. Due to a bunch of factors (hunting, roadkill, limited genetic pool) the disease is spreading with little hope of finding a cure. I went to a place called devils@cradle which is studying wild Tasmanian Devils and breeding in captivity. They gave a really interesting tour, very educational and informative. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the Cradle Mountain area. You can also follow their work online at devils@cradle.com.

Casey at Wategos beach in Byron Bay.

I’ve been in Australia for a few weeks now, touring around, getting a feel for the country, working hard, don’t you know. It’s been pretty amazing. As I mentioned in an earlier post…. ENTER OUR YOUR BOOTS contest. You need to see Australia! Pictured here are Casey’s 550′s out for a stroll at Wategos Beach in Byron Bay. I’m heading to Tasmania in a few days to check out the Cradle Mountain area, which is where you’ll be heading if you win our trip!I’ll be sure to post some updates as I tour around. – andria

I’ve been a Blundstone boot fan for years, and since working at Australian Boot Company, have also become an R.M.Williams convert. I have to admit I was holding out on UGG boots though. I wasn’t their biggest fan, I saw them as a bit of a fashion trend, and not every style is all that practical in Toronto’s wet winter weather. But last week, in the deep freeze that was toronto, I saw the light. UGG boots are THE perfect boot for the cold, cold days of winter. Last week, when it was -35 degrees celsius with the wind chill, I bought my first pair of Classic Tall Grey UGG boots. The rumours are true – they work best with no socks. My feet were warm! Warmer in fact without socks, than with. And, as timing is everything, they were perfect for wearing in my apartment during the 24 hour blackout that hit west toronto.

Congratulations to the winners of our R.M.Williams “Try on a pair to win a pair” contest. One winner was selected from each of our stores:

Vancouver (West 4th): Charlie Lee
Toronto (Yonge): Tony Kawaja
Toronto (Queen West): Elva Hook

Each of our winners will be taking home a pair of hand crafted R.M.Williams boots with a retail value of $379.95 to $429.95. Congratulations!

Elva Hook came in last week to pick up her prize. She had came into the Australian Boot Company Queen Street store to buy some Blundstone boots for her son in early December. While she was in the store, she inquired about our R.M. Willams boots and decided to enter our contest. She tried on, and subsequently won a pair of R.M. Williams Gardener boots Elva is a local Toronto artist, who’s works can be seen until January 25th at Gallery 1313 at 1313 Queen St. West.

Charlie Lee of Vancouver, picked up his winning pair of R.M.Willams Comfort Craftsman in the beautiful Whiskey colour, and blogged about his experience!

Elva Hook, Tony Kawaja, and Charlie Lee all R.M.Williams boot winners!