When an Ugg Isn’t an Ugg
For decades, Australian boot manufacturers have been calling the traditional fleece-lined, flat-heeled sheepskin boots they produce "uggs," "ughs," or "ugs" — some variation on a shortening of the word "ugly." They aren’t really, but they do have the sort of look that’s more suited for comfort than high couture. Imagine their surprise, then, when the American firm Deckers Corporation legally appropriated the term in the 1990s, and their astonishment when these homely surf and house boots exploded onto the fashion scene as a must-have item due to Deckers’ imaginative marketing.
After some protracted legal wrangling, the term "Ugg" has been recognized as generic, and has been returned to the public domain as a term that anyone can use — in Australia , at least. But that doesn’t mean that uggs are out of danger. In fact, unscrupulous manufacturers have begun producing ugg-style boots using what they say are 100% natural materials, when in fact they’re not.
Aussie ugg manufacturers have always prided themselves on the fact that their footwear is made of real Australian sheepskin, and lined with real fleece from Australian sheep. In fact, Deckers even owns the sheep stations where they raise the sheep whose hides and wool are used for its Ugg Australia footwear (one might suspect they enjoy a profitable sideline in fresh mutton, too). Recently, however, two Sydney-based manufacturers have begun lining their ugg boots with artificial fleece made of polyester and polypropylene, and they’ve been slammed for doing so by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
It’s not the fact that Rogue Footwear and Coastline Agency were lining their uggs with artificial materials that got them into hot water, according the the ACCC. These materials have been used to make artificial fleece for years, and in fact are quite effective and economical substitutes. The problem is that Rogue and Coastline were labeling their ugg-boot linings as being made of 100% natural Australian merino wool, which was blatantly false.
After the ACCC tested the "wool" linings of the Rogue and Coastline uggs in early 2006, only to find that they were, in fact, not genuine wool, the two companies were forced to admit that their labels were misleading, and promised to change them. Only Coastline, however, offered to give a refund to its misled customers. No mention was made in news reports of any fines being levied against the firms for false advertising. How this subterfuge has affected subsequent sales for the two companies remains uncertain, but the Chairman for the ACCC points out that actions like these "cause damage to Australian consumers and entities," presumably not just Down Under but in the eyes of the wider world.
The moral of the story isn’t necessarily that comfortable ugg-like books can’t be made from artificial materials; other companies have done that. However, consumers depend upon manufacturers to be truthful in their labeling practices; and now it turns out that even if you’ve got an ugg boot that’s supposed to be made of natural materials, and in fact is labeled as such, it may be a lie. This isn’t likely to be a problem with the large, reputable manufacturers, but if you’re considering an "off" brand, then as old saying goes — buyer beware.
