Ugg boots
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Ugg boots, or simply uggs, is a generic term for a type of sheepskin boot which has been made in Australia and New Zealand for nearly 200 years. They were originally called ug boots or ugh boots, which is short for "ugly"<ref>History of the Ugg boot</ref>; however, the American importer Koolaburra introduced the idea that the name comes from the way it "really 'ugs yer feet" and legs. Due to trademark issues (see below), uggs are often known in the retail world by the more generic term sheepskin boots. Other popular brands of sheepskin boots are Warmbat, Emu and Aussie Dogs.
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[edit] Usage
In Australasia, ugg boots have long been popular with subcultures such as bogans (and related groups), who will wear them in public. Most other Australasians only wear ugg boots around the house, or at the most trips no further than the local corner shop. The boots have also been popular with surfers and competitive swimmers since at least the 1960s, for keeping warm while out of the water.
Although many popular Australian actors have probably worn ugg boots in private at some point, it was a then Canadian, Pamela Anderson, who started wearing ugg boots acquired in Australia to keep her legs warm between takes for the television show Baywatch, and it was this that may well have originally spurred interest in these boots in America.
Since 2003, these boots have become very fashionable in the U.S., partly due to marketing by an American company, UGG Australia, a branch of Deckers Outdoor Corporation.... Brian Smith created the UGG Australia brand in the US, importing them to the US in the late seventies. He sold the company to Deckers Outdoors in 1995. Deckers poured millions into positioning the brand as a luxur brand, and seeded celebrities with UGG boots. Actress Kate Hudson wore a pair of UGG boots on the poster for the mid-2004 movie Raising Helen. They were associated also with the Anglo-American actress Sienna Miller and boho-chic (c2003-5). The Sheepskin footwear is now a major category in most US department stores and retail shoe stores. The UGG brand has become known worldwide.
Although sheepskin boots are generally available worldwide in sizes for both men and women, and styles are virtually identical, more women than men currently wear them, at least in the US. This has given rise to colors (lavender, pastels) targeted at the female market.
Natural properties of the sheepskin leather used in the vast majority of sheepskin boots results in thermostatic benefits. Thick fleecy fibres on the inner part of the boots allows air to circulate during summer so your feet don't become excessively warm. The natural thermal properties of sheepskin ensure warmth in colder climates.
In America, ugg boots are commonly worn with jeans, although one could wear other pants with the boots. One of the more popular ways to wear them is to wear the boot over the bottom of the pant leg, although you can also see people wear the boots with the bottom of the pant leg fitting over the boot.
[edit] Trademark issues
In 1995, Deckers Outdoor Corporation bought the trademark "Ugg" in America for their product UGG Australia, which was exclusively manufactured in China (as were Emu, Old Friend, and Aussie Dogs brands). Thereupon they began defending the trademark aggressively, in an attempt to corner and dominate the market. Through additional international trademarks they were able to limit the term's use and were successful in suing other ugg importers (most notably Koolaburra, one of the largest US importers of ugg boots still made in Australia), and tried to sue all other Australian ugg boot manufacturers in Australia to stop using the term "ugg", "ug" or "ugh" in either their product or trading name. Many Australian manufacturers found themselves forced to call their products "sheep-skin boots" and some even found American retailers refusing their products, claiming they were not authentic ugg boots. However, many Australian companies ignored the demands, defending their rights to use what had been a generic term in use for decades.
In January 2006 Bruce and Bronwyn McDougall, owners of Uggs-N-Rugs, were successful in having Deckers Outdoor Corporation's Australian trademark for Ugh-boot removed from the Australian Trademarks Registry[2], after the trademarks office handed down their decision the words ug boots, ugg boots and ugh boots were interchangeable and generic terms for sheepskin boots. Deckers Outdoor Corporation decided not to challenge the decision, but still hold the trademark in the US and continue to refer to their product as "UGG® footwear". In turn, they have continued a campaign against other parties rights to call their products "ugg", "ug" or "ugh". They continually monitor auction sites, using their considerable legal muscle to shut down any auction or web-site they feel infriges their trademark. They also purchased the domain www.uggsnrugs.com. They do refer to the above mentioned decision of the Registrar of Trademarks, Australia - but only as an opinion, and claim it is not a judicial determination, and has little to no value as legal precedent.<ref>Decker Outdoor Corporations "uggsnrugs" web-site</ref> However, that is incorrect - it is a legal judicial determination, and has set a legal precedent for future legal actions.
[edit] References
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[edit] External Links
- The Good, The Bad and the Ugg Boot - documentary film on the trademark dispute (see also Australian Film Commission database)
- Save Our Aussie Icon - an Australian web-site dedicated to the legal fight against Decker Outdoor Corporation's trademark registration
- Putting The Boot In - an article from the Sydney Morning Heraldno:Ugg
