The truth behind UGGs

Originally Posted on Emerald Media via UWIRE

As winter approaches, many students at University of Oregon find ways to keep themselves warm, whether it is buying gloves, hats and, of course, boots.

One of the most popular brands among boots for students to own are UGGs. The Australian brand is very commonly worn at the UO as the temperature begins to drop and the demand for cozy boots increases. The UGG boots provide a full range of colors and styles and, most importantly, provide comfort and warmth.

There is no question that UGGs remain the most popular boot brand for consumers. According to a Huffington Post article, UGGs were among the top trending gifts on Google shopping for Black Friday of 2013.

Among other popular items were video game consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One, tablets, Dr. Dre Headphones and North Face products. Clearly, UGGs are widely demanded by consumers. Out of those who own Uggs, a quarter of those are American women, according to a survey conducted by Beso.com this past spring.

As the demand increases, there have been speculations and controversy surrounding the popular boot in regards of using animal base to make the inside of the UGGs. Some of the rumors that have risen about the UGG brand is use of sheepskin to make the products and the inhumane ways the sheep are treated in order to obtain the wool and make the product. As soon as this information was spread, the UGG brand did not delay to comment about the controversial issue.

According to Dekers.com, UGG Australia had this to say in regards to the rumors of the boots:

“We are among the leaders in ethical supply chain for consumer goods, and particularly the sourcing of sheepskin. UGGs does not use sheepskin unless it is a byproduct of the meat industry. The sheepskin used in the UGG products including our classic boots is real fur.”

According to a post from the Huffington Post: The merino sheep which are the primary producers of wool are not killed for the boots. The sheep are sheared only and are much more comfortable without their massive wool coats. The term “sheepskin” refers to the sheep’s wool, not their actual skin, while the outside and bottom of the boots is synthetic. There’s a small chance that the sheep could be harmed in the process, but the chances are slim.

The methods and processes of obtaining the wool for the boots is solely dependent on the consumer and whether they accept the idea that the boots contain wool from an animal.

Story edited at 4:30 p.m., Dec. 8.

 

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