In case you missed all the hoo-ha a few years back, ugg boots are no longer an Australian icon.

Despite the fact that the term “ugg boots” originated in Australia in the 1950s and was trademarked here in 1971, these days the rights to the brand name “ugg” and all its variations belongs in America (therefore I will no longer use the word “ugg” in this blog for fear of a litigious American coming after me).

In fact, most sheepskin footwear companies these days are based overseas or at least have some kind of overseas interest which is disappointing given that sheepskin boots originated in Australia and New Zealand and are an integral part of our clothing history.

Emu Australia claims to be the only 100% Australian-owned sheepskin footwear company and for that reason alone I think it is worth supporting if you are looking for a new pair of boots this winter.

Now I love me a good pair of ugg sheepskin boots to wear around the house in winter but have always come down rather hard on the side of not wearing them out of the house (especially with short skirts).

However I really like the “Hip” style from Emu Australia, pictured here, which comes in a range of colours including chocolate and olive and retails for $119.95 (yep, real sheepskin boots are expensive but they last much longer than their synthetic counterparts). If I am ever going to wear a pair of sheepskin boots in public, these would be them.

Emu has a whole range of styles for men, women and kids and is available from David Jones, Yodgees, Evolution and independent boutiques.

Correction: I have just learned that there are several more all-Australian sheepskin boot manufacturers in Australia, including Mortels. Mea culpa!

By Caroline Warnes