Ugg is upping its sustainability profile with a new version of a best-selling silhouette.
The So-Cal-based brand has unveiled the Classic Mini Regenerate—a take on its popular ankle-high shearling boot made from regeneratively-produced leather. The boot’s sheepskin upper is sourced from New Zealand’s Atkins Ranch, which uses regenerative processes to preserve the land’s natural resources instead of depleting them.
The project is the result of Ugg’s commitment to restoring 1 million acres of grassland to regenerative farmland by 2025, a goal it has undertaken with the partnership of Savory Institute and Land to Market. Both groups promote verified farming practices that work toward the protection of ecosystems and reversing environmental degradation. Over the past year, Ugg has influenced 40 Australian farms spanning 200,000 acres to move toward regenerative processes. The five-year commitment, which includes a long-term grant with Land to Market, aims to help transform the Australian sheepskin industry, Ugg said.
“We believe regenerative agriculture can be one way to ease the climate crisis through practical action that can replenish and restore the planet,” senior director of brand purpose Nicks Ericsson said of the partnership. “The new Classic Mini Regenerate is made with sheepskin from farms that practice regenerative agriculture to help restore soil, encourage wildlife diversity, capture carbon in the ground, and preserve the land for future generations.”
In addition to its sheepskin upper, the shoe features a SugarSole outsole made from fast-growing sugarcane. It offers the same cushioning and traction as Ugg’s Treadlite outsole, which is mostly made from rubber. Bolstering the carbon-savings generated through the use of lower-impact materials, Ugg purchases offsets for any remaining emissions created during production.
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The brand enlisted model and land protector Quannah ChasingHorse to act as the face of the Fall-Winter 2022 collection and highlight the global resonance of sustainable farming initiatives. Ugg also engaged Indigenous artist Lenise Omeasoo, who created ChasingHorse’s Met Gala hairpieces, to design and hand-bead a one-of-a-kind pair of Ugg boots with a scene depicting a regenerative ecosystem. The artist included representations of plants and animals found in Ugg’s home base of California.
With each pair of Mini Regenerate boots sold, Ugg will contribute to the conversion of 20 acres of grassland to regenerative farmland through the donation of $6 per pair to the Savory Institute. From Oct. 13-Dec. 31, the overall maximum donation of $50,000 will go toward the Institute’s mission to facilitate large-scale regeneration of grasslands and support the livelihoods of inhabitants through holistic land management.
Retailing for $160, the Classic Mini Regenerate is available through Ugg’s digital and physical stores.