Arabella Logan
eSomethin staff
Every person who owns a pair of Uggs knows that any amount of water seems to leave a stain. It’s a constant battle to keep them sleek, with few ways to do that. The absolute rivalry between water and Uggs makes it almost impossible to picture them together. So it may come as a surprise that Uggs started on a surf board with the flowing water and waves hitting them constantly.
History of Uggs
According to Ugg.com, these “ugly boots” were an idea that sprouted from the mind of Brian Smith, an Australian surfer who saw potential in the shoes worn for his sport.
The idea started from sheepskin boots that were worn for warmth. The waves could be cold and harsh against the skin of surfers, and sheepskin helped to shield from the intense cold of the water.
Aside from keeping warm, the boots also helped absorb the incoming water. The wool boots acted like a sponge against the water. For surfers, this meant warm and nearly dry feet by the time they met the sand again.
Smith saw his surfer friends with these boots, and knew he could make something out of them. He came up with the basis of Ugg, and started small. He went door to door and business to business begging anyone to invest in his idea. After little feedback, he started selling his shoes to local surfers out of his van on Malibu Beach. Soon, things started booming. Surf shops along the Southern California coast in the late 70s to early 80s helped give ground to the business by putting a few pairs of Ugg boots on their shelves. Then, it was a lot of pairs.
By the mid 80s, Uggs were a symbol of relaxed and laid back surf culture. Every surf board would have Uggs standing on them. The shoes started to spread to San Diego and Santa Cruz. Uggs spread and spread, and became the standard surf shoe. They were comfortable and warm, and perfect for any surfer’s feet.
The shoes boomed. From the mid 90s to 2000s, you could find them in any store. As the popularity and audience grew and changed, so did the shoe. Non-surfers started to see the shoe as a fashion staple. Uggs went from surf boards to walking around the mall. Celebrities like Paris Hilton and Blake Lively even started to rock the look of the popular shoes.
Because surfers didn’t normally wear Uggs anymore, the brand started to change their production and products. That thick sheepskin thinned out, and rubber soles were added. The design became a more wearable and day to day look. The production quality went down with mass production, but people bought the shoes more than ever.
Popular styles included that classic tall chestnut brown boot in the early 2000s, and that famous fuzzy lined look of tall boots. The tall look shrunk over time, and the look now is ultra mini Uggs, or Ugg tasman. The popular look in the 2020s is very different from that big boot look back in the day. The regular price of a pair of Uggs ranges from around $70-$200. Fashion can be pricey, even if the quality isn’t the same.
Tips from an owner
Despite the new cheap and quick production, the thinly lined sheepskin, and the struggle with water, there are ways to keep your Uggs looking fresh out of the box.
Step one, buy the cleaners. Once again, there are multiple options when it comes to cleaners. Sprays and rubs, conditioners and shoe shampoos. You can find it right from the source on the Ugg site, or you can purchase from places like Nordstrom, Journeys, etc. These cleaning solutions are built for your shoes. They can help to get out those stains that you hate.
Step two, invest in the spray. There are numerous waterproof sprays you can find on any shopping platform to purchase for your Uggs to keep them stain free and water resistant. If you don’t want to drop $20 on a small spray bottle from Ugg, you can find many cheaper and just as good options on Amazon, Target, Walmart, etc. The water droplets will roll right off instead of seeping in and settling.
Lastly, there is an optional alternative that may be pricier. You can buy an on brand Ugg care kit. This would come with a cleaning brush, a cleaning solution, a spray, and a shoe renewal spray. If you have the money to invest your $40 on this kit, you may have some fresh Uggs, but any alternative works fine.
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