A look back at 25 years of sheepskin

The UGG® Australia story began in 1978, when Brian Smith, a young surfer from Australia, took a trip to the United States with a bag full of sheepskin boots. After finding a new home amongst California surfers, the UGG® Australia brand began to take shape.

Deckers Outdoor Corporation acquired UGG® Australia in 1995. By 1998, the product line had grown to include two boots, four slippers and a few casuals. It was in 1998 that the critical repositioning of UGG® took place. The brand was positioned as a high-end luxury footwear brand, made evident by a premium distribution strategy and high-end fashion marketing and communications.

The luxury and comfort of UGG® Australia proved to be a perfect fit for the high-end footwear world and soon Nordstrom had become the destination for UGG® Australia. The media reach expanded into more and more high-end magazine titles. The business continued to grow steadily as the brand recognition increased. To that end, UGG® has had no better contributor than Oprah Winfrey.

In 2000, Oprah was sent a pair of Ultra boots. She loved the product so much, she purchased 350 pair for her entire staff. Oprah then featured the Ultra Boot on her well-known "Oprah's Favorite Things" show.