Now that it’s officially fall, Ugg president Anne Spangenberg is ready for her cozy shoe brand’s time in the spotlight.
And while the popular Deckers-owned footwear label shines the brightest in colder months, Spangenberg is quick to point out that the brand has done a lot of work to become a shoe choice for every season. “Fall is a special moment for Ugg, but that feeling is now celebrated year-round,” she explained in an interview.
In fact, Spangenberg pointed out that the Ugg brand’s success “cannot be attributed to any one thing.”
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“It comes from our teams and our business rallying behind a clear vision: serving consumers, meeting them where they are and bringing the feeling of Ugg to people around the world,” the executive noted. “We listen closely to how consumers wear our products, what they tell us on social, and how talent and communities make the brand their own. [The term] Ugg Season is a great example: that language came from our consumers. We recognized a feeling they were already celebrating and built on it.”
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Ugg is celebrating that “feeling” via a new campaign that debuted earlier this month. Dubbed “Born to Feel,” the shoe company tapped three duos recognized for their self-expression, authenticity and confidence to star in a new global campaign: Emily Ratajkowski and Adwoa Aboah, PinkPantheress and Rowan Blanchard, and Julez Smith and Tyson Beckford.
“There is an unmistakable feeling people recognize when they put on Ugg,” Spangenberg said. “Over time, that becomes personal. People build memories around our products and find their own ways to wear them, season after season. ‘Born to Feel’ puts language to that enduring connection.”
The Ugg team is hoping to capture that feeling in real life via a new two-day experience in New York City’s Meatpacking District Thursday and Friday, transforming Gansevoort Plaza into a physical manifestation of “Born to Feel” for Ugg Season. During the event, seasonal treats and a customization bar will be offered within an immersive micro world of fall. Following Ugg’s NYC event, “Born to Feel” will continue around the world through locally relevant expressions across key markets.
“One of my favorite things about this brand is that when I meet someone and mention Ugg, they almost always have a story,” Spangenberg recalled. “It might be about their first pair, a person who gave them a pair, or a moment in their life when they reached for Ugg. The details are different, but the stories always come back to a feeling. That’s what I’m most excited to see as ‘Born to Feel’ travels around the world.”
As for product, the executive noted that key items this fall include the brand’s new Western collection, the men’s Birch boot and the Après City Tall boot. But it’s not to say that the Ugg Classic boot isn’t going to have its own moment this season.
“The Classic boot is an extraordinary part of our history, and we’re proud of it,” Spangenberg said. “At the same time, people’s lives and personal styles keep evolving. When we consider a new silhouette or category, we ask whether it brings something meaningful to the consumer’s wardrobe and whether it delivers the feeling they come to Ugg for.”
Spangenberg added that what she “loves to see” is someone discovering a style that “feels entirely theirs.”
“For one person, that will always be a Classic boot; for another, it might be a slipper, a sneaker or something we haven’t made before,” the executive added. “Newness lets more people find their way into the brand and lets those who already love Ugg experience it in different moments throughout the year.”
As for what Wall Street thinks of Ugg, the popular Deckers-owned footwear label is set for another winning fall and winter season with several analysts forecasting a solid second quarter.
UBS analyst Jay Sole wrote in a July note after Deckers’ first-quarter earnings call that his firm is forecasting Ugg sales to rise 4.9 percent year-over-year to $797 million in the second quarter. This will be led by a 6.5 percent increase in direct-to-consumer and a 4.5 percent growth in wholesale.
“While management acknowledged consumers may be buying in a more event-driven pattern, it noted no cancellations in the Ugg order book and emphasized that the brand is now more versatile, diversified, and balanced across categories, geographies, and consumer segments,” Sole wrote in July. “We expect the brand to benefit from continued international momentum, particularly in Asia and Europe, as well as ongoing progress behind Ugg’s 365 and men’s growth initiatives.”
Williams Trading analyst Sam Poser took a similar view of Ugg’s forecast, calling for sales to rise in the midsingle digits, citing that over 93 percent of Ugg’s annual DTC revenue will occur over the next three quarters, with approximately 63 percent occurring in the third quarter.
“Consumers are purchasing more products around events, such as holiday and back-to-school,” Poser wrote in a July analyst note. “While Ugg is primarily a cold-weather brand, slippers and sandals are helping to drive its spring, summer, and fall business. Also, response to Ugg apparel and men’s footwear is increasing. Our checks indicate that Ugg, especially its slippers, are performing very well at the Nordstrom Anniversary sale. It also appears that the Tasman is selling very well at full price during the sale.”
In its most recent first-quarter 2027 earnings release, net sales at Ugg increased 4.9 percent to $278.0 million compared to $265.1 million the same time last year.