UGGs Are Back In Style, and They’ll Never Go Away

Winter is here, and Gen Z and Millennials can finally agree on something: It’s time to break out the UGGs.

When it comes to Y2K fashion, young Americans may not have perfectly replicated the trends worn during the Bush administration. But, they’ve got some things right, and it will always be acceptable to don a pair of furry UGGs. The boots with the fur are popping up on TikTok feeds, just like they graced Myspace pages 15 years ago.

From some perspectives, the brand is having a resurgence — but did it ever really go away? Just because they haven’t remained the must-have boot on college campuses throughout the entirety of the 2010s doesn’t mean the brand was on the brink of death. In fact, its strategy to survive in this decade may make UGG a brand that will endure the test of time.

The good, the bad, and the UGGly

If you have any recollection of fashion in the early aughts, UGG needs no introduction. If you remember the styles of the 90s, you’ll know a time when UGGs didn’t exist. The style was born in Australia to keep surfers’ feet warm after a session but was brought to the US in the late 70s. However, the brand’s turning point was in 2000 when Oprah put the boot on her “Favorite Things” list.

UGGs experienced growth every year for the first decade of the millennium, and this shouldn’t be too shocking. Pop culture was filled with celebrities causing scenes while wearing UGGs. By the time the 2010s rolled around, growth continued, but the momentum was slowing.

In 2012, Decker Brands (UGG’s parent company) noticed slowing sales of its signature UGG boot, though there was a shift toward other products like slippers. By 2017, the company reported shrinking profits for UGG brand sales.

In 2022, people seem to be feeling warm and fuzzy about Decker Brands again, with overall sales topping $3 billion. And it can thank UGGs for the momentum. The furry shoes are responsible for the biggest piece of the company’s sales, as a new generation of customers is rocking their UGGs.

Coming back UGGain

As the 2010s rolled in, the people who wanted UGGs had them. And when the market was saturated, some seriously ugly…