If you're in the market for a new pair of UGG boots, you'll have noticed the plethora of UGG brands out there. Simply type the term "UGG" into Google Search and you'll have 107 million results come back to you. Seriously...
It begs the questions - why ARE there so many UGG boots out there? Where do they come from? How can you know you are buying the 'real deal'?
We're so glad you asked!
In Australia, UGG is a generic word for a sheepskin boot. Believe it or not, it's actually in the Australian dictionary and it refers to a sheepskin boot. The slang word can be traced back to the 1960's when Australian surfers would wear sheepskin boots and refer to them as 'ugly' footwear. Really, UGG is just another generic word for a type of footwear. That means, a lot of brands sell this type of sheepskin footwear and each brand is completely different from the next.
Some UGG brands out there are incredibly high quality - using A-grade Merino sheepskin and premium materials. On the other hand, there are many companies out there that utilise cheap synthetical materials. Even though the term 'UGG' originates from Australia, only a very small portion of the UGG brands are actually Australian. The real shame about the term 'UGG' being used so loosely is that no matter the quality, price, make, materials, etc., they can be marketed and sold as UGG boots.
Outside of Australia, it's a different story. UGG has been trademarked by another company, and therefore when shopping in stores overseas, you can only purchase UGG boots from this particular company (this brand is distinguishable by a "big G" in the middle of their logo). What is it? It's an American company that is publicly listed on the Stock Exchange (known as Deckers Outdoor Corporation). They do not manufacture any of their UGG boots in Australia. Instead, they import them from countries like China, Vietnam and the Philippines. This brand of UGG boots is available in Australia as well – and is the brand that many big retailers like The Iconic and David Jones choose to stock, even though they are not Australian made.
Since Deckers Outdoor Corporation has the trademark to the word UGG in most countries external to Australia, it means that genuine Australian manufacturers of UGG boots are unable to expand outside Australia under the name UGG. As this would be a breach of this American-owned company’s Intellectual Property. The situation sounds quite unbelievable, given this company has no manufacturing presence, nor ownership within Australia, but has the exclusive right to the iconic Australian innovation “UGG” in most countries around the world. Unfortunately, many people based overseas assume the UGG boots they are buying Australian made, but this is sadly often not the case.
We are Wild Wool Australia. We handmake sheepskin boots that tick the boxes of sustainability, ethics, quality, authenticity and passion. Our boots are made in our workshop on the Gold Coast in Australia, using premium Australian sheepskin. We only sell our boots through our online store and make to order. You won't find any mass production around here! We deliver our sheepskin boots within Australia and worldwide. P.s. Worldwide shipping is FREE.
When you're looking for your next pair of sheepskin boots, make sure you are putting your money into something that lives up to your morals and standards! If you are looking for sustainable, ethical and Australian sheepskin boots, the team at Wild Wool Australia are happy to help you out!