The History of UGGs

At first glance, UGGs are strange-looking shoes. They are solid and bland in color with a boot-like appearance. Some people criticize the boot for looking plain and unremarkable. But at the same time, many people love the brand. UGGs are made of sheepskin. Not only are they comfortable to wear, but they also keep people’s feet warm during the winter. The popularity of UGGs has shot up in the past year. Now, celebrities such as Selena Gomez, Addison Rae and even Adam Sandler have been seen wearing UGGs. But how did this brand of shoe go from uncool to popular? To understand this, we must look back on where UGGs came from.

The company, UGG, was founded in California in 1978 by Australian surfer Brian Smith. At first, the boots seemed weird to many people, but they eventually became a staple part of ‘80s Southern California beach culture. In 1995, UGG was purchased by Deckers Brands. However, the shoe became extremely popular when Oprah featured UGGs on her favorite things list, causing a surge in sales by the early 2000s.

UGGs became some of the most worn shoes at the time, often being paired with mini denim skirts, baby tees and cargo pants. In fact, many celebrities following Oprah could be seen wearing them daily. However, by the 2010s, UGGs started to fade out of popularity as celebrities started wearing UGGs less and less. Instead, they were replaced with Bailey Buttons and Bailey Bows.

By the mid-2010s, boys brought UGGs back into the fashion scene. Most women wouldn’t dare wear a pair of UGGs. However, men started to style them in unique and creative ways. Jayden Smith, for example, wore them with bright-colored beats and a pair of black and gold tiger-striped jeans. Women eventually started to wear them again starting with the UGG slippers, pulling off the ugly slipper trend at the time.

By the 2020s, however, the popularity of UGGs made an extreme comeback. This was partly due to the influence of TikTok. Many influencers can be seen wearing all styles of UGGs — cut beneath the ankle, knee length, short, etc. 

Once more, the brand has reached the hearts of people everywhere. Whether they remain a permanent fashion trend will depend on whether or not something else becomes more popular, or if people grow bored of UGGs. But for now, they are not leaving any time soon. So, it’s a good idea to jump on the bandwagon while it lasts.