About UGGs

UGG, you must have heard about it. Shoes that women often wear and that the shoes are quite a luxury to wear, but what is the reason for that? Why is UGG so big and how did it all start? In this text you will learn all about UGG and how it all started.

1. The beginning of UGG

It all started in 1978 when UGG started in California. The person who started this company was called Brian Smith and Doug Jensen. Before they started this company they still lived in Australia but really wanted to go to America and wanted to start a company that has to do with sheepskin and from there wanted to make girl shoes that have fur in them. For that they also had to have a company name. They first went with the name ''Country Leather''. However they then changed their minds about it because they didn't like the name. Then they chose to go with UGG. From there they slowly started their company however they needed some extra funds to help them. They got these funds from their family they collected a total of 20 thousand euros. They used this money to buy the materials needed to make the shoes that they started to sell. In the first season they only sold 28 pairs of shoes. This isnt much but this is due to obligations they have to fulfill which is why they couldnt focus on the company. A year later, Doug Jensen gave his share of the company to Brian Smith due to due to business commitments.Therefore, Brian Smith got the full rights to the company that they first started together. Over the years, the company went up wtih growth and profit and many products were sold. The company has also changed from UGG Imports to UGG Holdings Inc. and the company was officially registered as a trademark in America. What also really helped the company is that in 1994 these shoes are bought more often and are also worn abroad, such as in the 1994 Winter Olympics, where the US Olympic winter team wore the shoes. So this gave a lot of international attention and it now became known worldwide.

2. The big growth of UGG

Despite the business and trading were going realy good, Doug Smith still decided to sell the company to Deckers Brands for only $14.6 million. Because of Deckers Brands, the company has gained much more momentum with the profits they make. This is because Deckers started expanding the company internationally. In 2003 there was even more publicity for the shoes which also helped alot for publicity. Oprah Winfrey talked about the shoes on her show that she loves them and that it is one of her favorite things now. The show has increased sales even more. After making so much and enough money, the company finally had enough money to open a store in New York. They also opened their first international store in Japan shortly after. In 2009, the company decided to team up with Jimmy Choo to create a shoe with both brands on it. Jimmy Choo is a company that is known for its expensive and luxurious shoes and all in all a well-respected company with a luxurious reputation. This has given UGG another push forward with the collaboration with this big company. Right after they finished their colaboration, there was yet another collaboration offer from another company. This time it is with the Swarovski company, a well-known Australian company that produces unique glass designs such as glass/crystal flowers. In addition with the current colaborations going on, the company also wanted to start selling boys' shoes as marketing plan. Also cause since they only sold girls shoes to expand their posibilities by including these boy shoes. Right after a boy's UGG shoe shop was opened in New York. Over the years, the company has evolved from a reasonable $15 million company to a large international company worth more than $1 trillion.

3. The problem with the name

In general, it looks like UGG had barely to none bumproads, however this was not the case. in 1971 there was actually already a company called UGH-BOOT in Australia which basicly means that they had earlier rights to the name than UGG did. This remained the case until 2006, when the rights expired because the company name was not used. In the 1980s and 1990s, the company was very active in Australia and also sold a lot of shoes. But in 1995, after Deckers bought the company, he immediately tried buying all rights related to UGG. It was to stop other companies from trying to copy the name or use the same name. If buying them away didnt work then he even went as far as starting a whole lawsuit to get the full name and to let the big name of UGH-BOOT expire. In 2006 this was fulfilled and the name UGG no longer has any problems keeping it.

4. The animal controversy

Besides the problems with the name, the company also has to deal with a lot of controversy. The main problem being that company uses sheepskin and this drew a lot of criticism from people who want freedom for the animals and that value animal rights. In 2000, a lawsuit was even started to boycott the UGG shoes and or replace them with a different type of material. These animal activists say that it is cruel for the sheeps for being used for their wool and that it is basicly violating its anima rights. Due to all the controversy, Pamela Anderson has also decided that she no longer wants to support and buy the prodcuts the company because of sheepskin being used. At last, in 2008 yet another campaign was started against the fur industry and against UGG with its need of sheepskins. After all the circumstances and protests, not much has changed and UGG has continued to sell the shoes and produce the sheepskin needed to make the inside.

5. Summarization

UGG has gained so much momentum and seen many changes over the years. Today, the company has transformed from a small idea to a super large international company that is worth milions of dollars. To this day, the shoes are still popular and worn by many people. Besides the fact that the company has also had many controversies, the company is still growing at full speed and has a bright future ahead.