By Winsome Vaughan
Photos by Claudia Patterson and Gretchen Falkner
When most people think of UGG boots, they picture soft, fluffy shoes that are perfect for winter. You see them in school hallways, shopping malls, and even on celebrities. But behind the cozy look is a long history full of drama, lawsuits, and arguments about who really owns the name “ugg.”
UGG boots first started in Australia back in the 1920s. Sheep shearers, who worked long hours with wool and lanolin (oil from sheep’s wool), needed boots that wouldn’t fall apart. Normal leather boots couldn’t handle it, but sheepskin boots could. Australian and United Kingdom pilots later caught onto them to keep their feet from getting frostbite. They definitely weren’t known for their looks. Australians called them “ugg boots,” short for “ugly,” because they were made to last, not to look good.
Later on, surfers in Australia started wearing them after being in the cold water. They were easy to slip on and perfect for warming up their feet. In the late 1970s, an Australian surfer named Brian Smith brought them to California and registered UGG as an official U.S. brand.
That’s when things really changed. In the 1990s, Deckers Brands bought UGG and turned it into a worldwide trend. Big names like Oprah Winfrey and Paris Hilton wore them, and suddenly UGGs were a must-have fashion item. The boots went from being called “ugly” to showing up on magazine covers.
But with all that popularity came a ton of controversy. In 2006, courts in Australia and New Zealand ruled that “ugg” was just a generic word, so no company could own it there. That meant small Australian bootmakers could keep making and selling their own versions of uggs.
This has led to a lot of lawsuits. Deckers has sued Australian companies for selling boots online under the “ugg” name to American buyers. Australians argue this is unfair because “ugg” has always been their word. In 2024, Deckers even sued a small family-run company called “Ugg Since 1974.” By 2025, the company had to change its name to just “Since 74” when selling outside Australia. For a lot of people, this felt like a piece of Australian culture being taken away, while Deckers said it was just protecting their brand.
The fight is really about authenticity. Australians believe their handmade sheepskin boots are the real deal, while Deckers says their boots are authentic because they made the UGG name famous worldwide. But most UGG boots today are made in China, and use UGGplush™, a lining made from recycled wool and plant-based fibers. Some people say it’s not as soft or durable as the original sheepskin lining.
When you actually compare an Australian-made ugg boot to a U.S. UGG-brand boots, they look almost identical. Same rounded shape, sheepskin lining, and simple style. To most people, they’d be hard to tell apart. And that’s what makes the whole debate so confusing: how can two boots that look nearly identical belong to two completely different stories?
From being work boots, to surfer gear, to billion-dollar fashion items, UGGs have definitely come a long way. But their rise also left behind legal battles and cultural fights. So next time you see a pair of UGGs, remember they’re more than just warm shoes–they’re part of a global argument over history, culture, and who really gets to use the word “ugg.”
