To the horror of many fashionistas, Ugg boots have become an unlikely high street phenomenon thanks in part to celebrity endorsement by the likes of Kate Moss, Uma Thurman and Sarah Jessica Parker.

But now the American firm behind the craze for sheepskin is setting out to convince the nation's men that there is an Ugg boot for them too, with Brad Pitt, Justin Timberlake, Harvey Keitel and Ronnie Wood, plus a selection of Chelsea footballers, reportedly blazing a trail that the less style-conscious might fear to tread.