Long before pretty, anemic girls and Leonardo DiCaprio stuck their fashion-forward feet into Uggs, Russian peasants, soldiers, and pioneers were sporting unbecoming felt boots of their own. They're called valenki: woolen, seamless emblems of the nation's cold history. But Russia's current bazaar offers Italian leathers and designer footwear, with no shortage of cheaper alternatives. Why, then, are these homely things flying off the shelves at $70 per pair? Nationalism? Hipster irony? Nostalgia?

Russia Today reports that with the stocks plunging, the number of gigolos in Moscow is bulging.This, according to Moscow police. The story comes in the wake of last month’s Russian Newsweek feature about the country’s economically challenged men seeking material sponsorship from wealthy single women in exchange for, well, being men.