The History of Ugg Boots

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Where do Ugg Boots come from?

The general consensus is that the name Ugg Boots comes from the term "ugly boot" and ever since then, Australians have referred to their sheepskin boots as ugg boots, uggies or uggs. Regardless of the history, it is and always will be a generic term for sheepskin boots in Australia. Ask any Australian what an ugg boot is and they'll say sheepskin boot. It's as 'ocker' (slang for 'Australian') as meat pies and kangaroos. As for 'who made them first', well, it would be difficult for any one person to lay claim to making the "first" pair of uggs or ugg boots.

If you want to buy a pair of authentic Ugg Boots - ie, well-made, excellent quality sheepskin boots - you’ll want to make sure that yours are Made in Australia, by uncompromising craftsmen who still appreciate what makes them Uggs; not made in China, Malaysia, New Zealand or some other country where cheap labor is the primary consideration. You'll also want to know they are made of genuine Australian sheepskin. There is currently controversy surrounding the trademark 'ugg'. This website offers sheepskin boots made by the brand UGG® Australia as well as some small Australian manufacturers.

Ugg Boots originated in Australia earlier this century when World War I pilots were pictured wearing their fleece-lined "Fug Boots" (Presumably flying ugg boots!). Blue Mountain Uggs go back to 1933 with sheep shearers finding them cosy and warm and in the late 1950's, Mortel's Sheepskin Factory began producing a line of "ugh boots". Their original ugg boot style was very basic - essentially two pieces of sheepskin in the shape of a boot joined together down the centre-front and back with a soft sole attached to the bottom. They didn't even have hard soles so they were really no more that a posh sock! Then in the late 1960's Australian surfers decided it was real cosy to jump out of the surf and into a pair of sheepskin boots to help get warm.

It is important to remember that the word Ug,Ugh,Ugg has been associated with a style (NOT a brand) of footwear for many years in Australia so you will often find people referring to these style of boots as Ug or Ugh Boots as well as Ugg Boots too. The brand UGG® Australia is the one currently being actively marketed in the USA. However, if you would like to help support a smaller Australian manufacturer of Ugg Boots, you may prefer to buy your Uggs from Jumbo Ugg Boots. They are shipped direct to you from Australia and the prices are excellent.

Uggs arrive in the USA

UGG boots made their first USA appearance in the 1970s when California surfers took to warming their feet with these lovely soft boots after riding the waves in the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean.
UGGs then lurked around the counterculture scene throughout the 1970s, mostly as an aprés ski or aprés sport shoe. But they could rarely be seen east of the Mississippi. They disappeared from the mainstream in the 1980s and didn't reappear until Pamela Anderson began wearing a pair regularly on "Baywatch" in the early 1990s. This put UGGs back on the scene but didn't make them an overnight success - probably because not many TV viewers ever looked at Pamela Anderson's feet!

There are now old hippies in places like New Mexico who have been wearing Ugg Boots for years and are now waking up to find they are fashion leaders!