A content creator is viral on TikTok after exposing the deteriorating quality of UGG brand shoes.
In a recent video, Alexis Nicole (@alexisnicoleofficial) said that UGG is a brand—not a boot. That brand, she said, was sold to a different, non-Australian company that is now manufacturing “shitty boots.”
“I know that I’m not the only one who begged my mom for the brand UGG because every kid had UGGs,” Alexis Nicole said. “And if you wore an off-brand, you sucked. It was like UGG or nothing.”
She said that “trauma from school” influenced future sheepskin boot purchases. Now, however, Alexis Nicole said she’s “cured” from her desire to solely buy UGG boots because she said the quality has decreased. She said she’s now buying another brand: Emu Australia.
This brand, Alexis Nicole said, is “super plush” on the inside. “I have worn these every single day for the last 10 days,” the content creator added. Another upside to the new brand, Alexis said, is that they’re water-resistant. “Congratulations! You are now… free to purchase other brands of sheep-skin boot,” she said.
Toward the end of her video, Alexis Nicole clarified that she was not paid to promote Emu Australia. “I just really want you guys to know that you have alternatives,” she said. “I am now an Emu girl.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Alexis Nicole via TikTok comment and to UGG by email for comment. As of Saturday morning, Alexis Nicole’s video had over 3.6 million views.
@alexisnicoleofficial @UGG® is a BRAND …. And not a good one. Owned by an american brand Deckers and made in China. @EMU Australia are AUSTRALIAN AUTHENTIC BOOTS MADE IN AUSTRALIA! Find these in my LTK. easily found in my linktree. #ugg #uggboots #emu #sheepskinboots #bootseason #uggshoes ♬ original sound – ALEXIS NICOLE 🐇
Commenters seemed to agree with her criticism. Many users said that they feel UGG’s quality has decreased over the years.
“I wear bear paw boots and UGG doesn’t hold a candle to them,” one person said.
“The old uggs were actually worth the price bc they lasted,” another added.
“Bye UGG we want quality not cheap stuff,” a third person said.
Of course, a few defenders were in the comments, too.
“I still have my uggs from 2010 and [they’re] perfectly fine,” one viewer wrote.
“I’ve had my original uggs since 2007 and they are still going,” another user said.
The UGG brand was sold to Deckers Outdoor Corporation in 1995 for nearly $15 million. Even though the company itself was founded in the 1970s, UGG is considered one of the most recognizable Y2K-era brands.