Ugg Australia - Real or fake?

How to tell if UGG Australia boots are genuine or fake.

The big question we all ask when we are looking to buy genuine ugg boots, but also try and save a bit of money.

We usually turn to ebay, but most of the Uggs for sale on ebay are fake. So how do we tell the difference between the real ones and fake ones?

The most obvious is the price, if you think its to cheap, or too good to be true, it probably is.

Here are a few characteristics to look out for how to tell if they are genuine or not.

Genuine Ugg Boots

The Sole

1) The sole of real boots have the Deckers Ugg logo on the Classic tall. A fake boot will possibly be flat.

2) The sole in a genuine pair are flexible. The fakes are more rigid and stiff.

3) On the sole of the boot at the bit where the sole joins the heel, the genuine has a smooth transition, On the fake there is a ridge or solid line clearly visible. You can see here with the genuine ugg boot.

4) A genuine Deckers boot has got a copyright R circle next to the ugg logo on the sole. In a fake boot they will not have the R on the sole, here you can see the genuine on the left. Currently the fakes now may also have the r, so the presence of this alone should be used to decide the boots are real, more that, if they dont have the 'r', they are fake.




5) The sole in an authentic boot is about a half inch thick, the sole of a fake is often very thin, probably about a quarter of an inch think.

Labels

1) The outside labels are always the first thing to be scrutenized, these are slightly different. You will notice the 'Australia' on the fake boot is a bolder font and looks out of place. Which you can see on the right. On the real, the wee copyright R is right in the middle of the open jaws of the 'G', in most of the fake uggs, the 'R' it is nearer the top of the jaw. Also, the label is way too high up on the heel. If you are not sure look at the real ones in a High Street shop. This is my best advice.

See here the genuine label on the left.

2) The genuine Classic Deckers ugg are made in China. So if they say that they are made in Australia, or made in new zealand, then they are definitely fakes. Here's the genuine label (for a classic short) on the left and the fake on the right. Also note how the font style for 'Australia' is different, similar to what I mentioned about the previous label.



3) If they are pictured with a blue or brown label pinned to them, hanging by a string, then they are fake. Real genuine ugg Australia's to not come with any labels pinned to them.

Fur

The genuine article has real sheepskin fur on the inside. Its really think and fluffy and more natural looking. This is how I could tell the first pair of fake boots I seen. The fake, you could tell was a more synthetic 'fur', It wasn't as full as the real fur, and some of the fur came away in my hand. Here is a pic of the genuine fur. the right:


In addition to this, fake boots are often reported to be smelling of paint. This is because the fake fur that is used is dyed, giving a chemical smell to the fur.





Ebay

Many ebayers selling what they say are 'Genuine ugg australia', even although they believe they are selling genuine ones, they are not.

They may have positive feedback, but this is because they are just good fakes, and the people leaving the feedback believe they are genuine.

The best thing to do would be to only buy them from someone who offers a money back guarantee, and take them to an authorised dealer to compare them with known real ones.

Size

Real ones are made slightly large, so if someone is advertising them saying, they are a bit smaller than the size, so order a size larger, then this is a good sign they are fakes. But at the same time, many people selling them will just say they are slightly larger in order to get a sale, so be sure to check for urself.

Box

A few reviews on ebay state that, a real ugg australia box is a one piece box, with a hinged lid.
I have purchased 2 pairs from authentic high street retailers and the box is a 2 piece box, with a removable lid.
So I wouldnt pay too much attention to this piece of information. I think the box design has changed a few times over the years.

General

The general quality is poor in fakes, the area where the sole joins the upper is often of poor quality, uneven and with areas of glue showing.

Also the stitching is of general poor quality. Common sense should be used, take your new uggs and compare them to a known genuine pair.
The difference in quality may not be massive, but if you look, you will see it.
Summary

With all this information of things to look out for, the best advice I can give, is compare them to a pair of known good ones. Take the uggs you purchase to a store and compare them. Before you purchase any, if in doubt, go and look at the fine detail of a pair of genuine Ugg's, and compare them to pictures of the actual ones you are wanting to purchase.

The difference will be there to see.

I hope his advice helps you in purchasing your new boots. The quality of the fakes is changing all the time, and the fakes are getting better and better and harder to tell the difference.

If you want my personal advice.... Make sure you check out enough online stores and auctions to make sure you are confident you are getting what you are looking for. Alot of people out there are looking for fakes as they are alot cheaper, and nowadays, to the untrained eye, identical to the real thing.

Go to an official UGG Boots stockists

The information on this site is for informational purposes only. I am in no way connected with UGG ® australia and can not be help responsible for any purchases made on the basis of this information.