It’s 1:25am, just under an hour and a half into the first of December. I’m frantically throwing on an extra layer of thermals and lacing up my UGG boots as screams fill the hallway of our Reykjavik hotel. Puffy coats and chunky scarves skip down the hallway in blurs of pink and brown, almost taking me out as I join the line. If the instructions for a fire alarm are to “stop, drop, and roll”, the protocol for the Northern Lights is much simpler: sprint.

We’ve been in Iceland with the UGG team for several days now, learning about the country’s history, exploring the rich culture, and putting the new UGGextreme™ collection to the test amongst the extreme natural beauty of the region. And thank goodness we had it. Zipping up the UGG Shasta Down Jacket, a light yet powerful force against the unpredictability of wind, rain, snow, and cold, we were utterly protected from the Strokkur geysir’s 30 meter hot water spray and free to feel the Gullfoss waterfall’s sprays. We skipped securely along the slippery Thingvellier National Park thanks to the Adirondack Meridian Hiker boots (where the American and Eurasian tectonic plates pull apart a few centimetres each year!), weather rated to -32°C and high-tech with its GORE-TEX interior. In classic UGG fashion, the pieces kept us warm and safe as the temperatures dropped below zero and we explored outside of our comfort zones.

Throughout the trip, we had the pleasure of learning a bit about the history of UGG — from the company’s California beginnings in the ‘70s to the ‘00s The Simple Life craze and the recent resurgence of influencer-approved platform styles — all while sharing our own origin stories with the brand. Whether begging parents for boots as children whose feet were still rapidly growing (and ending up with FUGGs, the horror of an early 2010’s middle schooler) or slipping into slides for your first proper winter at university, the tales are endless and always, always super-specific. UGG has created a community that, as we braved the Nordic weather, felt stronger than ever.

However, it was the climb to the Northern Lights that truly put the UGG community and the Extreme collection to test. Seeing the aurora borealis has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember, though as a hiking novice, I never imagined it would happen without loads of training or a car to drive me up a mountain. But when someone from the UGGextreme™ trip spread the news that the lights were visible outside, I geared up and my body took over. I chased the bright streaks up the small mountain opposite our hotel, not stopping until face-to-face with the spirited green dancers in the sky. I plopped onto the snowy cushion, pulling the jacket’s hood over my ears and lay down to watch the magical show.

It wasn’t until I started shedding layers and flicking through photos from the comfort of the hotel lobby that I realised how high I had just run, and with such ease. The boots gripped every step of my journey up and down, the layers kept me toasty warm, and the dozens of other UGG-goers kept my confidence high.

Back in London, where the only lingering memory of Iceland’s snow is in the city’s rainy clouds and the aurora borealis are replaced by the shine of Christmas lights twinkling, UGG remains the only constant. Fitting in just as seamlessly into my daily work attire as it did my Nordic styles, the collection feels like a hugg wherever you go, providing comfort inside and out so you can take on this extreme world with the self-assurance you deserve.

Visit UGG’s website to discover the full UGGextreme™ collection.