Whether you like them or not, it’s hard to dispute the massive popularity of the UGGs. Their boots, in particular, are some of the best-selling products in Zappos and Nordstrom, accounting for nearly 90% of the $1.5 billion sales for its parent company Deckers brand.
The brand boasts excellent customer support with a cult-like fan base.
Even though UGG boots have been nicknamed “ugg-ly” footwear, where wearers have been denied access to airline lounges and stalked of animal accusations, the brand, along with their popularity continues to remain so strong that most of its competitors want to cash in.
On the flip side, these include sellers who don’t have the best intentions and are simply out to trick buyers with fake UGGs. (Not to mention that in October 2019, a man named Hai Long Huang was arrested in New York with almost $5 million in fake Timberland and UGGs boots).
The good news is that this California-based brand UGG- previously called “UGG Australia- is taking action against these forgers. However, the best way to make sure that you get the real deal is to purchase your UGG boots from authentic retailers.
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So, Where Do You Buy Real UGGs?
We suggest buying your UGG boots from authorized retailers such as the official UGG website, Zappos, DSW, Nordstrom, and Amazon. You can still find discounted models on sale at Nordstrom Rack.
How Do You Spot Fake UGGs?
If you’re planning to buy a pair of UGGs, whether as a gift to yourself or someone else, beware of fakes. Protect your bucks and arm yourself with the much-needed information regarding how to spot fake UGGs. Also, be sure to know the various ways of maintaining your sheepskin boots.
Go Through the Security Features
The constant battle against fakes has prompted the UGG brand to introduce security features on UGG and I Heart UGG items. These stickers and special labels are the fastest and most reliable to guarantee the authenticity of your purchase.
Since 2010, UGG has been putting forth security features on its packaging and labels. They began with the holographic sun logo that has been designed to change colors from black to white when rotated 90 degrees.
In 2013, the UGG Australia brand introduced a QR code to the sewn-in security mark on the left shoe such that when you scan with a smartphone, you’ll be taken to the company’s official website. There you will be able to verify if the product is real or fake.
If the pair of UGG shoes in question features a sewn-in size/material label, the QR security code should be on the foil strip, on the label, just behind it. In the absence of this sewn-in mark, the security sticker should be on the sole of the left shoe. Besides, the shoebox should also have this security sticker.
When you flip this label and check it at its backside, you should spot another security feature that shows the UGG logo “rolling” over the sun logo with a 3D effect.
Some UGG 2014 products may not feature the holographic sun logo on the sewn-in labels. If you come across merchandise without this security mark, you can simply check for the QR code.
Check Where Items are Made
One interesting fact about UGG boots is that models labeled “Made in Vietnam” or “Made in China” are the real deal.
Over the past years, real UGG products have been manufactured by Deckers Outdoor Corporation, whose factories are based in China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, The Dominican Republic, and the US. If the label claims that the shoes have been manufactured in Australia or New Zealand, that’s a red sign of a fake.
In short words, UGG boots are made in China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, The Dominican Republic, and the US. Note that the company is no longer called UGG Australia, but simply UGG. So, authentic labels no longer say “UG Australia”.
Go Through the Packaging
Real UGG boots are delivered in a box crafted with strong cardboard material. Some buyers have it that the authentic box is a one-piece box with a flip-top lid, while others report having bought real UGGs that came in two-piece boxes with removable lids.
The delivery box is highly debated, but another part of the packaging worth checking out is the plastic wrapper. The plastic that the UGG boots are wrapped in should be made of thick crinkly material featuring a “UGG” print on it. With fake models, you will find low-grade plastics, which mostly do not have anything printed on them.
Also, go through the care booklet, the authenticity, and other literature that UGG or I Heart UG merchandise is packaged with. All the printing should be on thick, high-quality paper using quality ink. In summary, it should not be fuzzy, blurry, or as if they’ve been scanned.
The previously known UGG Australia stopped using white paper for printing in June 2007 and switched to printing UGG shoes care booklet and other cards on cream-colored paper.
Authentic UGGs are packed with shoe inserts to prevent them from being distorted when shipped or stocked. Fake models do not get the same careful handling and in most cases do not have shoe inserts.
Real UGG products are not shipped in a UGG-printed bag. In fact, you’ll only get a UGG shopping bag if you stop in at one of the company’s official stores. These things do not come packaged with UGG boots:
- Any sort of label pinned or attached to the boots themselves. Authentic UGGs from Deckers do not have any tags or labels attached to them.
- An Australian flag printed anywhere on the packaging materials
- A brown dust bag with “snow boots” printed on it. Real UGGs are never called snow boots.
All of these are red warning signs that the UGGs in question are fake.
Pay Attention To The Soles
With genuine UGG boots, the soles are flexible and comfortable, so they feel like you’re walking on clouds. Fake models are basically rigid and are very hard to bend. Authentic UGG boots also have half an-inch soles. The fake ones have thinner soles, having just a quarter-inch thick sole at the most.
Real UGGs have the registered R in a circle close to the “UGG” on the bottom of the soles. While this used to be a clear way of telling apart the real and fake UGGs, counterfeiters have adjusted to this and have started adding this detail to fake models.
UGG also changed the tread pattern on the outsoles of their boots from zigzag to the Sun logo. Although this is not the most reliable way of guaranteeing authenticity, real UGG boots should feature the sun and the logo at the center of the sole in the correct typeface.
Check The Price and Quality
Genuine UGG and I Heart products are made from high-quality materials and good quality comes with a price. If the pair of UGG boots is being offered for an absurdly too-good-to-true price, then chances are the shoes are fake.