Amid an ongoing legal battle with the owner of the UGG brand, Californian Deckers, the Australian manufacturer of sheepleather boots with the common name "uggs" Ugg Since 1974 is forced to change the name of its own brand. Now the Australian company will produce its ugg boots and other models of footwear outside the Australian and New Zealand markets under the Since 74 brand.
Ugg Since 1974 owner Todd Watts, grandson of Ugg Since 1974 founders Arthur and Faye Springthorpe, shared the news on his TikTok. He said it was “extremely difficult to fight a lawsuit against a multi-billion dollar company, especially for an Australian family business.”
Watts noted that the Since 74 name is "an ode to our 50-year heritage of handcrafting Australia's most unique sheepleather boots" and does not change anything about the product going forward.
In late 2023, a controversy erupted on TikTok as users sought to find “real Uggs.” Countless videos emerged in which users compared their 2010s Uggs to Uggs they had purchased in more recent years. Some creators pointed out changes in quality and differences in design details.
And the main difference that has confused some consumers is the change in the logo of the shoe manufacturer, which is owned by American Deckers Brands, from which the word "Australia" has been removed. From this, some consumers have concluded that UGGs from Deckers are "fake" and the "real" Uggs are sold by the Australian company Ugg Since 1974.
Amid the confusion, Ugg Since 1974 posted its own explanation on its website. “We are often asked if we are the same company as Ugg,” the Australian company said in a post. “The answer is a resounding no (we are not affiliated with Ugg in any way), but those unfamiliar with Ugg’s history could easily be mistaken. We currently do not have, nor have we ever had, any affiliation or relationship with Ugg.”
The word "ugg" is commonly used in Australia as a catch-all for fleece-lined sheepleather boots. However, in the US, Australian entrepreneur Brian Smith trademarked the name as a brand in the 1980s, and court documents show that Deckers bought the name from Smith and trademarked "Ugg Australia" in 1995.
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