The humble ugg boot has become a cultural icon in Australia, with a long and somewhat mysterious backstory.
Around the 1960’s, Ugg boots started gaining mainstream attention and worked their way into the hearts (and living rooms) of families across the country.
The warm, fleece-lined boots were made popular by the Aussie surfing community, who found solace in their ideal post-surf footwear and shared them with the world on their travels.
So where did Ugg boots come from, and why are they called ugg boots? Many believe the origin of the Ugg boot can be traced back to World War I and World War II. Temperatures inside unpressurised fighter plane cabins would often be well below freezing, and the pilots would resort to any means necessary to stay warm. Along with fleece lined jackets and hats, sheepskin footwear was the obvious choice for the pilots.
Hence the ‘flying ugly boot’, or ‘fug boot’ for short, became popular. Over the years, there have been numerous folks coming forward claiming to have invented the now famous Ugg boot, or at least coined the term. However, as is usually the case where commercial interest is involved, it is difficult to determine the legitimacy of these claims.
Based on the popularity of the iconic footwear, the term “Ugg” is trademarked by a US corporation outside of Australia and New Zealand. For Aussies and Kiwis however, the term ugg is so generic it’s considered a style of footwear. Australian made Ugg boots continue to be extremely popular in the colder months, and are a must-have for all ages.
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