UGG

UGG was founded in Southern California in 1978 by Australian surfer Brian Smith and Doug Jensen. Smith recognized a market for the sheepskin boots familiar from Australia, introducing them to a Californian surf community that usually favored sandals. Warmth after time in the water gave the brand a practical starting point.

The Classic boot became its defining product. A soft shaft and sheepskin lining created a form of footwear whose appeal depended as much on how it felt as on how it looked. As the boots reached a wider audience, that promise of comfort moved from the beach into everyday casual dress.

Deckers Brands acquired UGG in 1995 and developed the business internationally. The collection expanded into slippers and other shoes, as well as clothing and accessories. For men, styles such as the Tasman and Neumel offered different ways to incorporate the brand’s soft materials and relaxed proportions into a wardrobe.

Collaborations have brought those recognizable forms into other designers’ work. A partnership with JW Anderson applied the details of a penny loafer to UGG’s rounded shapes, showing how adaptable the original idea could be. The brand’s history connects a practical surf purchase with a broader change in the place of comfort within fashion.