Australian Sheepskin Association Inc.

Protecting and Promoting
Australian Made Sheepskin Products

About Us

Early in  2004 Deckers Outdoor Corporation threatened many Australian manufacturers of sheepskin products with legal action if they did not cease calling their sheepskin boots by their common name "ugg boots".

A small group of these threatened manufacturers banded together to form the Australian Sheepskin Association Inc. to defend their right to use the ugg words - ug, ugh and ugg and to promote genuine Australian made sheepskin products.

Beware of Fake Ugg Boots

Consumers should beware of fake ugg boots.  The dictionary definition of an "ugg boot" is "a sheepskin boot with the wool on the inside". An ugg boot must be made of real sheepskin. Due to the high cost of genuine sheepskin, one of the first warning bells will be a so called "ugg boot" advertised at a very cheap price. Make sure you have the genuine article before purchasing. Genuine sheepskin will outlast many synthetic products. Sheepskin is a natural product which breathes, absorbs moisture and provides a warmth and comfort superior to any synthetics. (Most synthetics become very smelly with wear). Real sheepskin has the wool tanned into the leather. Fake sheepskin can easily be recognised - if you part the fibres lining the boot with your fingers and there is a woven or knitted backing under the fibres it is NOT real sheepskin.

Care when buying online

Before buying online it's a good idea to carefully read through the website. Check that there is a physical address for the company, a landline phone number (not a cell phone) and a legitimate email address you can contact. Most genuine businesses are more than happy to make this information available. So, before you hand over your credit card details do your homework. For peace of mind when buying online we recommend you buy from one of our members.