By: Katie Borders

National/World Editor

It’s officially deep into fall; the leaves are changing from shades of green to yellow and orange, and the seasonal spirit has shifted away from flip flops and sunshine to welcome the return of a certain sheepskin boot into the daily wear mix. UGGs are officially back! This stylish, iconic footwear has taken the masses by storm since the early 2000s, with Gen Z maintaining the UGG craze that has been a beloved autumn staple for decades. 

First launched in 1978 by Australian surfer Brian Smith and Doug Jensen in Santa Monica, California, UGG Australia steadily grew in popularity and gained international attention when the U.S. Olympic team in the 1994 Winter Olympics wore the sheepskin boots. In 1995 when Decker Brands bought UGG Australia from Smith, they rebranded the company to solely “UGG” and expanded it further into an international brand. Sales took off from there at an astonishing rate; there were over $1 billion reported sales by 2012. 

The UGG brand net sales have increased by 16.1 percent in 2024 compared to sales in the previous year. Released last year, the UGG mini platform captured the public’s attention after celebrity Bella Hadid sported the viral mini UGG boots in public. Numerous other celebrities have also added UGGs to their choice of footwear to promote the brand to the public eye, including Beyonce, Paris Hilton, Blake Lively, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Lopez, and Justin Bieber.

The designers build the original UGG boots primarily around the idea of extreme comfort for after surfing; initially viewed as a strange design and idea, UGGs have now become a trademark staple of fall fashion and have found a prominent place in the fashion industry. Releasing new designs and limited-time colors, this bold and stylistic footwear is a bestselling fan favorite that feels just like walking on a cloud. 

The UGG styles currently trending the most are the iconic Classic Short Ugg Boots, Mini Ugg Boots, Ugg Tazz Slippers, Ugg Tasman Slippers, Ugg Coquette Slippers, and, of course, the Classic Ugg Boots. Ranging from shades of sand to chestnut to black, and the occasional unique exclusive colors like Little Bay (a cream-white color) and Seventy Four (a vibrant green shade), it’s no wonder that this cozy footwear has caught consumers’ attention.

Although the brand has been subjected to criticism by the animal liberation movement since 2000 for its usage of sheepskin to manufacture its shoe products, UGG has announced its first vegan boots this year in an effort to possibly phase out excessive use of sheepskin. These vegan boots will be made using sugarcane and various other materials in substitution of sheepskin.

(Sources: Decker Brands, FashionUnited, Houser Shoes, Vogue, Wikipedia)