UGGs are a fashionable sheepskin winter footwear synonymous with being a fashion staple globally, thanks to their functionality and trendy design.
Nevertheless, the main contention among UGG lovers has been whether these chic boots are made in China or not. I embarked on some fact-finding mission on the origins of UGGs, and this is what I discovered!
Are UGGs Made in China In 2024?
Contrary to many people’s beliefs, most UGG boots are made in China, not Australia. UGG doesn’t shy away from indicating where the boots originate, since this information is displayed on the boots’ label. However, not all UGG boots are made in China. UGG also manufactures UGGs in countries like Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, and the United States.
To find out where authentic UGGs are made and how to spot fake UGGs, and more, keep on reading!
Where are UGGs Made?
UGG boots are made in different countries where UGG has established manufacturing factories.
Deckers Outdoor Corporation, the main manufacturer of the UGG boots, mainly sources its sheepskin from tanneries in China.
The corporation, in turn, manufactures sheepskin winter footwear in manufacturing factories in China, Vietnam, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic, and the United States.
After manufacturing UGGs in these countries, the shoes are distributed across stores worldwide.
However, it’s worth noting that other companies in Australia manufacture these trendy boots in Australia and New Zealand.
UGG boots made in New Zealand and Australia come with sewn-in labels with “Made in Australia” and “Made in New Zealand” indicated.
Therefore, if you’re particular about the country in which your UGGs should be made, you only need to look at their sewn-in label to confirm.
Are UGGs Made in China Fake?
UGGs that are made in China are not fake.
Apart from New Zealand and Australia, UGG boots are made by Deckers Outdoor Corporation, a US-based company with factories in China and other countries in Asia.
In fact, UGG boots that have the “Made in China” sewn-in label are among the UGG products that are the most authentic, while the “Made in Australia” ones may be fake.
Besides China, other countries where UGG manufactures its footwear include Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, and the United States.
Although UGGs that have the “Made in Australia” and “Made in New Zealand” labels may be legitimate, most of them may be counterfeit.
Thus, it would be ideal if you were very cautious when buying your UGGs, so as not to spend your dime on counterfeit sheepskin products.
In summary, even though you may have some concerns about buying counterfeit goods from China, most UGG boots made in China are authentic.
Are Real UGGs Made in China, Vietnam, or Australia?
UGG boots are made in China, Vietnam, and Australia.
The Deckers Outdoor Corporation owns the UGG brand and has trademarked it in over 130 countries, except for New Zealand and Australia.
This USA-based corporation manufactures these shoes in different countries, including China and Vietnam.
That’s why there are original UGGs in different shoe stores worldwide with the “Made in China” and “Made in Vietnam” labels sewn on them.
On the other hand, Australian shoe companies manufacture and sell authentic sheepskin UGGs since the term “ugg” is generic in both Australia and New Zealand.
Some of these companies that manufacture UGGs include, but are not limited, to the following:
- UGG Since 1974 Company
- Australian Leather Company
- UGG Australia
- UGG Store Australia
These footwear companies source their sheepskin from tanneries in New Zealand and Australia and make authentic UGG products in Australia.
Hence, you’ll occasionally find Australian-made UGG boots with the signature “Australian Made” label in shoe stores worldwide, but they’re not common.
How Do I Tell If Chinese Made UGG Boots are Real or Fake?
Cheaply constructed and counterfeit UGG boots have flooded the market in recent years.
However, since authentic UGG boots are made in many countries, including China, differentiating between real and fake UGG boots can pose a challenge.
Fortunately, there are several ways that you can tell whether the Chinese-made UGG boots you’re about to buy are real or fake.
Here’s how to spot real vs. fake Chinese made UGG boots:
1. Check Security Features
UGG installs security features on its sheepskin products to distinguish between real and fake UGGs.
For instance, the shoe company installs a holographic sun logo on the boots’ packaging and sewn-in label that changes color when rotated 90 degrees.
In addition, UGG boots come with a QR code attached to the sewn-in label that you can scan with your smartphone to verify your boots’ authenticity.
To cap it off, when you flip over the sewn-in label on your UGGs, you can see the UGG logo with a 3D effect that rolls over multiple sun logos.
2. Confirm Where They Are Made
Most authentic UGG boots come with “Made in Vietnam” and “Made in China” sewn-in labels.
Deckers Outdoor Corporation, a USA-based company that manufactures original UGGs, manufactures these chic boots in the following locations:
- China
- Philippines
- Vietnam
- Dominican Republic
- United States
Thus, if you come across UGGs whose labels indicate that the boots are made in any other country other than the outlined countries, the chances are they’re counterfeit.
More so, look at the UGG label attached to the boot’s heel. Fake Chinese UGG boots have UGG labels with bigger fonts, off-shade colors, and poor-quality stitching.
3. Examine the Fur
One way that you can tell whether your Chinese-made UGGs are real or fake is by examining the quality of their fur.
While real UGG boots come with thick, soft, fluffy, and rich creamy-colored fur on the inside, fake UGGs have scraggly, thin, plastic-like, and whitish-colored fur.
These differences are due to the fact that fake UGGs aren’t made from real sheepskin.
Additionally, when rubbed with fingers, bits and pieces of synthetic fur found in fake UGGs comes off easily, as opposed to real fur found in real Chinese-made UGGs.
To cap it off, authentic UGG boot’s inner fleece lining come naturally adhered to the tanned outer side and, thus, the two parts can never be separated apart.
So, if you can separate your UGGs’ outer material from the inner fleece lining when you pull the two sides apart, the chances are that the Chinese-made UGG boots are fake.
Conclusion
UGG boots are not only made in China, but are also made in New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Dominican Republic, and the United States.
Therefore, it’s very hard to tell whether an UGG is real or fake just by looking at where the boots are made, but the tips outlined above will go a long way in helping you make a better choice.