Ugg boots, shoes and slippers in sheepskin are extremely popular today. Comfortable and warm shoes, but they require a lot of care to keep them looking and feeling good. Learn more about Uggs and how to best care for them in this guide.
The story of Ugg
Uggs originated in Australia, where in the first half of the 20th century, sheepskin boots were made for shearers, as they were durable and more resistant to lanolin than their regular boots. In the 1960s, they began to be used by surfers to warm their feet after cold runs in the water, and they then spread internationally in surf culture and as comfortable home shoes.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Ugg became popular in the fashion sphere and major celebrities wore them. Today, they are popular mainly with women in big cities around the world, and many different variations have been developed.
What makes it a bit complicated is that in Australia and New Zealand, Ugg are a shoe type produced by several different companies, while in the rest of the world, the American company Deckers has registered Ugg as a trademark and it's their shoes that are by far the most common.
What are Ugg shoes?
Traditional Uggs are a slip-on boot made with a sheepskin suede exterior that has sheep fleece attached to the inside. The upper has decorative stitching on the outside, and is attached with a Stitchdown construction to a thin midsole, which has a thicker rubber sole attached with glue. The outsole can be replaced if it wears down. Inside the shoe is a wool fleece sole.
Today, there are many different model variants produced by the American brand Ugg, as well as various modern variants from Australia and New Zealand.
How to store Uggs in the best way
Uggs are made from natural materials that are best kept in an airy place, but not in direct sunlight. Certainly not near radiators or on underfloor heating, it dries out the leather. To help the wool inside the shoes dry, it is best to put in sportfresh with cedar shavings or just a bag of cedar shavings, which helps to absorb moisture and keeps away bad odors. Shoe trees should be avoided here, as they compress the lining in a way that is not desirable.
How to best clean Uggs
Uggs are often made of light coloured sheep suede, and although suede is not as delicate as many people think, especially if you use a good waterproofing spray (more on that below), they often get dirty if you wear them outside during the winter months.
To avoid dirt sticking to them, it's a good idea to brush them off when you come inside, using a regular shoe brush. When they need to be cleaned more thoroughly, use a mild suede cleaner such as Saphir Medaille d'Or Omninettoyant. Work up a lather with a damp brush to loosen the dirt, wipe off excess with a moist cloth and leave to dry. If they are really dirty, a stronger more effective cleaner such as Tarrago WASC super cleaner can be used.
For salt stains on Ugg boots, it's important to get it off right away. Use, for example, Saphir snow and salt cleaner, or a mixture of equal parts vinegar, lemon juice and water.
Once the shoes have dried after cleaning, brush them with a suede brush to lift the fibers. After any use of cleaning agents, the shoes must be impregnated afterwards, see below.
How to care for and protect Uggs
If you feel that the suede has dried out and/or lost colour, we recommend spraying it with Saphir Medaille d'Or Renovateur Spray or Saphir Renovetine suede spray, preferably pigmented in a similar color to the shoes to recolour them and give them refreshed luster, while moisturising the suede. They are also waterproofing.
If you want the absolute best protection against wet and dirt, we also recommend a pure waterproofing spray such as Saphir Medaille d'Or Super Invulner or Tarrago Nano Protector. 
All pictures: Ugg
How to repair Ugg shoes
Many damages or wear and tear on a pair of Uggs can be fixed by a good cobbler. A common problem is a seam coming undone, which is easily fixed. If the toe is worn down so that there are a hole, they can patch it so it looks okay again.
If the sole gets worn down, a cobbler can resole most Uggs shoes. They pull off the worn sole and glue on a new one. The stitchdown construction that traditional Uggs are made with makes the shoes relatively easy to resoled.