The unisex sheepskin and fleece footware called UGG boots, or simply uggs, gained popularity in the 1960s when competitive surfers began wearing them. They were the perfect remedy for cold, numb, wet feet.
Now, everyone seems to be sporting the boots, from Hollywood celebrities and their tween followers to suburban moms. Originally of simple design, uggs now sport glamorous embellishments such as brass grommets, fringe, and animal skin patterns.
The history of the term ― and the trademark — are highly disputed. Australia and New Zealand both claim to be the original home of uggs and in these countries the term “ugg” can be used to market any fleece and sheepskin boot. That is, it is considered a generic term. However, in more than 100 other countries, UGG is a registered trademark.
So, what does the word mean?
Well, it doesn’t mean “ugh,” the commonly used interjection of disgust or dislike that was first recorded in 1837.
The word may have derived from fug boots that were worn by aviators in rural Australia during World War I. The term is believed to be a shortened version of “flying ugg boots.”
The owner of one company that has been making the boots since the late 1950s claims that he invented the name. He says that his inspiration came from his wife, who called the boots ugly.
And there's also another version:
Ugg Boots Namesake
Daughter says her winter boots can't go in snow, the father
sighs, Ugg, the boots are named.
Sure,you may just put it as a joke,eh……
Ugg Now
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By 1994, ugg boots had achieved cult status among surfers in California with 80% of sales in southern Orange County where Ugg Holdings saw an increase in sales of 60% on the previous season. 1994 also saw the word Ugg added to dictionaries as a name for "sheepskin boots".
Smith's Ugg boots later gained international exposure when they were worn by the U.S. Olympic team in Lillehammer for the 1994 Winter Olympics. Australian manufacturers also saw an increase in exports of ugg boots to the United States although Ugg Holdings retained an estimated 80 percent market share.
In early 1995, Smith promoted the UGG AUSTRALIA brand on the Rush Limbaugh show which spurred sales while the brand gained further exposure by the San Diego Chargers wearing them. According to retailers, it was not just the footwear that attracted consumers, but the "made in Australia" tie-in as uggs were a unique product only available from Australia and Australian products were at that time very popular.
In August 1995, Smith sold Ugg Holdings to Deckers Outdoor Corporation for $14.6 million.Deckers licensed the use of the British UGG trademark from The Original Ugg Co. in 1996 and eventually purchased it in 1999 at which time Deckers registered the various trademarks for "UGG" in the US.
Generally worn for warmth and comfort, ugg boots had never been considered fashionable in their country of origin,but in 2001 sheepskin boots emerged as a fashion trend in the US through Deckers' promotions of the UGG brand, with celebrities such as Kate Hudson, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Jennifer Lopez wearing the boots,and with Oprah Winfrey featuring UGG brand boots as one of her "Favorite Things" on her TV talk show.Deckers' actions to promote their product "led to an exponential growth in the brand's popularity and recognizability."The company reported US$689 million in UGG sales in 2008,almost a 50-fold increase from 1995.