UGG Fuses Craft and Culture with Founder Brian Smith
The brand’s AW25 campaign celebrates its surfing roots through self-expression and community.
The UGG story began in the late 1970s, when Brian Smith — an accounting student living in Australia with a deep passion for surfing — had an idea to change his life and travel to Southern California. There, he found himself immersed in surf culture where individuality was valued over convention. One thing stood out: while surfers back home pulled on sheepskin boots after cold morning sessions, his new crew in SoCal didn’t. That gap in the market soon became Smith’s vision.
After being rejected from local surf shops, Smith decided to sell his boots “pop-up” style at Malibu Point Beach. The shoe quickly became the next big thing, and within a decade, Hollywood and the fashion world took notice. Celebrities took UGG from the beach to the red carpet premieres, award shows and more. The style became a comfort essential and a style statement — the kind of product that could live in your everyday rotation, but could make waves in elevated spaces.
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UGG has evolved into a brand that sits at the intersection of sport, fashion and culture. Its partner roster spans renowned designers and creatives. Its collaborations extend from celebrated designers like Telfar and Feng Chen Wang to athletes and icons including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shareef O’Neal and Nigel Sylvester. Whether warming surfers after early morning sessions or making statements in NBA Tunnel fits, UGG continues to prove its ability to move seamlessly between worlds.
As the brand approaches 50 years of shaping culture, UGG celebrates its diverse community while honoring its surfing roots through its recently launched AW25 Brand Heritage campaign titled Iconic From the First Step. It includes a video featuring founder Brian Smith discussing how UGG blends comfort and creativity with ease.
What started as a boot for the beach is now a symbol of versatility and cultural relevance — worn by those who set the trends, break the rules and live life with the same fearless spirit Brian Smith brought to Malibu in the ’70s.
Learn more about the AW25 campaign at ugg.com.
