Ugg

Australians and New Zealanders have been wearing sheepskin boots for nearly two centuries. However, it wasn't until the early 2000s that these boots became wildly popular in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The name Ugg actually comes from Australian slang that was originally intended to be derogatory (e.g., 'ugly').

Traditionally, Ugg boots have been worn by surfers, who need to warm up their legs after cool dips in the ocean. Swimmers also have worn these sheepskin boots since the 1960s. In the 1970s, a man named Brian Smith trademarked the Ugg brand and started selling these boots in the United States. Smith subsequently resold his footwear company for a large sum to a conglomerate called Deckers Outdoors.

Other importers, most notably a company named Koolaburra, have also tried to appropriate the Ugg term. Some Ugg manufacturers actually do most of their work in China. The Ugg phenomenon, which swept so quickly across the world, may have originated with the world famous actress, Pamela Anderson, who put the boots on her feet to keep comfortable while shooting the TV program Baywatch.

Kate Hudson, among many other American actresses, also helped spur the Ugg boot phenomenon by wearing a pair in the movie Raising Helen, which came out in 2004. Uggs continue to sell remarkably well in a wide range of cold weather climates. Demographers have also noted that tweens have appropriated the trend and perpetuated it among themselves.