Fleece-lined sheepskin boots called uggs have been popular since at least World War I, when Australian fighter pilots wore the comfy footwear while flying with their British counterparts in Europe and the Middle East. In the 1930s, Australian sheep shearers favored uggs, and by the 1960s Australian surfers had discovered the rough-and-tumble boots (uggs, some say, is short for “ugly”) as the perfect antidote to cold toes after a bracing bout in the waves.
All of which made it more than a bit galling to Australian ugg-makers such as Blue Mountains, Mortel’s, and Uggs-N-Rugs when, in 2003, they received a cease-and-desist warning from a U.S. manufacturer that claimed ownership of the ugg brand. Three years later, a court ruled that the U.S. firm could, indeed, do business as UGG Australia, but that Australian boot-makers could continue to call their sheepskin boots uggs, as they had been doing for decades.
The first uggs were soft-soled, formed of two pieces of sheepskin sewn together down the center of the boot. In the 1970s, Uggs-N-Rugs added a hard sole to the shoe and a molded stitched-in heel. This is the version that is most prevalent today...
Pamela Anderson upped the ugg’s profile in the United States when she took to wearing the leg-warming footwear between takes of the television show “Baywatch.” Kate Hudson and Sienna Miller are just a few of the other actresses who have made what had been a casual man’s boot into a must-have fashion accessory for women.
In no small part, UGG Australia gets the credit for the boot’s popularization among women. One of its hottest styles is a version whose Pepto-Bismol pink New Zealand shearling fur is exposed on the boot’s exterior, with soft flannel inside to keep the feet warm.
Other examples feature elaborate, “girly” embroidery on the outsides of the boots; tall, above-the-calf versions in chocolate, tomato, or black; and horizontally striped boots made of cable-knit fabric, which look a lot like socks with rubber souls.
Interviews & Articles
Sex, Power, and High Heels: An Interview with Shoe Curator Elizabeth Semmelhack

I came to the Bata Shoe Museum as a cultural art historian with a strong interest in things that are made for immediate consumptio… [more]
Shoe Collector Jonathan Walford on Why Footwear Is So Seductive

I moved to Toronto in the early 1980s because I wanted to work at the Royal Ontario Museum, which had a costume and textiles depar… [more]
Our Bodies, Our Stilettos

Behold the power of the stiletto heel. Despite all the advances women have made, it's one fetish we can't seem to escape, a parado… [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
All About Shoes

From Canada's Bata Shoe Museum comes a visually impressive exhibit focusing on the history of the shoe from traditi… [read review or visit site]
Virtual Shoe Museum

This virtual museum from Shoe Icons Publishing showcases over 800 pairs of shoes and related reference information.… [read review or visit site]
Top eBay Auctions
Recent News: Ugg Boots
Source: Google News
Ouch! High-heeled shoes may look good, but they're killing your feet
Arab News, June 19thPletka says her feet rarely hurt in her four-inch heels, and she points out that, though heels have their problems, “Uggs are really bad for your feet: They don't support your arches.” Liebow agrees that some people have problems wearing such slip-on...Read more
Crocs: $20 Possible On Asia-Pacific Growth
Seeking Alpha, June 19thLast week, I detailed how Deckers Outdoor (DECK) could have tremendous upside if the UGG brand delivered this year. Today, my focus shifts to another retailer known for its footwear products that have been considered a fad at times. Crocs (CROX), which ...Read more
Killer shoes
Hamilton Spectator, June 19thPletka says her feet rarely hurt in her four-inch heels, and she points out that, though heels have their problems, "Uggs are really bad for your feet: They don't support your arches." Liebow agrees that some people have problems wearing such slip-on...Read more
5 Common Blunders New Bloggers Make
Business 2 Community (blog), June 19thIt was What's Uggs Got to Do With It. It sucked. I'm ok with that as we all have to start somewhere. The title made sense once you read the post, but the title is what makes people click. You have to give the people who might read your blog a clue what...Read more
Kailyn Lowry Plans Romantic Vacation to Mexico!
Wetpaint, June 18thThe only way Teen Mom 2 Kailyn Lowry's life could be more fabulous is if she had an endless supply of Uggs and even more pirate tattoos. Sure, this gal has been through some rough times, but things have been looking way up ever since Kailyn's husband, ...Read more
Cheers! Beyonce Wows In White As She Toasts 10th Anniversary Of 40/40 Club
MyDaily UK, June 18thPerhaps not her finest fashion moment. Beyonce at the NBC Today Show Summer concert series. 2003. She dazzled the crowds at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. 2004. She dressed down in UGGs to announce the pre-game activities for the Super Bowl...Read more
Deckers: Pleasant Upside If UGG Delivers
Seeking Alpha, June 10thDeckers, if you don't recognize the name, is the company that is most known for the UGG brand. The company also owns the Teva and Sanuk brands, but UGGs account for most of the revenues. I initially got bearish in late 2011 when Deckers was above $90, ...Read more
2 Reasons to Sell Deckers Outdoor Stock
Motley Fool, June 5thFamed value investor Whitney Tilson also recently published findings that should encourage Deckers shareholders: 75% of respondents said they view Ugg boots as functional, not fashionable, 60% said they were likely or certain to buy more Uggs when they ...Read more
Vintage Guru Reveals Her Glamour Secrets
The Killer Mobile Device for Victorian Women
Gloriously Grotesque 19th-Century Pipes
The Beautiful Chaos of Improvisational Quilts
Our Dad, the Water Witch of Wyoming
This 1959 Goggomobil Is Insanely Cute and Gets 55 MPG. Why Can’t Detroit Do That?
California Cool: How the Wetsuit Became the Surfer's Second Skin
The Unfiltered History of Rolling Papers, Plus Tommy Chong's Big Fat Jamaican Vacation
World's Smallest Museum Finds the Wonder in Everyday Objects
Fightin’ Femmes: Unmasking Female Superheroes with Author Mike Madrid

by 
by 
by 