Among the numerous benefits of playing alongside Tom Brady, perhaps most overlooked is the opportunity to rack up a closetful of UGG boots.
The New England Patriots star quarterback is one of the company's most visible endorsers, and he has shouldered the considerable challenge of singlehandedly changing the image of the boots.
As part of his effort to get more men wearing the brand, Brady has made it somewhat of a tradition to give his teammates UGGs each year for Christmas. In the first year of the partnership Brady, who was introduced to the boots by his three sisters, gave each of his lineman a pair.
The next year, Brady gave everyone on his team a pair.
looks like Santa Brady has delivered: UGG boxes at every player's locker
— shalise manza young (@shalisemyoung) December 10, 2014
While Brady admits his teammates teased him when he initially signed the deal, after they received their first pair their opinion quickly changed.
"Once they tried them on, any thoughts of jokes stopped," Brady told the Wall Street Journal in 2011. "The warm boots are perfect during the cold New England winters."
Slowly but surely, through generous gifts like these and commercials like the one below, Brady is shifting the perception of the Australian brand.