The classic sheepskin fur-lined boot, UGG’s hallmark product since its founding in 1978, is rapidly mutating into increasingly unexpected forms. We’re in a new era of UGG, one that includes towering cowboy boots alongside techy GORE-TEX outdoor sneakers, and, most recently, even hi-tech trail running shoes. Well, kinda. 

Jean-Luc Diard, co-founder of running label HOKA, which is owned by the same parent company as UGG, had a vision of merging mile-chewing trail shoes with UGG’s plush slip-ons. “He showed the team and I a pair of trail boots that essentially had marathon-running technology incorporated into the sole,” says Pierce Lopatic, UGG men’s footwear design director. “Needless to say, we were intrigued.”

Work immediately began on what has become the UGG JLD Boot (JLD being Jean-Luc Diard’s initials), which is essentially a classic UGG boot and a state-of-the-art trail running shoe, complete with thick foam cushioning and an energy-returning midsole plate, smashed into one. 

The JLD boot is an undeniably ambitious concept, and it's indicative of what Lopatic has been building at UGG.

The footwear designer, whose CV includes a tenure as The Shoe Surgeon’s first director of design, has been steering UGG’s growingly experimental menswear output since 2022, turning what was once considered a “basic” boot into anything but. He’s the reason why it’s now commonplace to see UGG boots dressed up with colorful weather-resistant bumpers or even UGG sneakers, oversized in a way that recalls Y2K skate shoes. He’s made it his mission to take UGG to uncharted territory.

A lot of your work is this balance between UGG heritage and innovation. How do you walk that line?

Pierce Lopatic:  You’re right. For the UGG men’s collection, which I lead, heritage is our foundation. That heritage is warmth, coziness, quality, and craftsmanship. We’re evolving those values. We’ve been introducing protection, utility, and performance, pairing [it] all with an intentional, contemporary lens. There’s also a sense of play we’re bringing by pushing silhouettes, volume, and textures in ways that feel a little unexpected, but still grounded and honest.

What are some of those unexpected details?

We put a high level of consideration into our products, so there are always details that you might not clock right away, but they genuinely improve the wearing experience. Take our Lowmel sneaker, for example. It looks simple, but there’s more going on under the surface. A favorite detail of mine is the set of internal elastic gores that connect to the tongue. It’s a small, often-overlooked feature, but it gives the shoe a dual benefit of keeping the tongue in place and allowing for slip-on wear. You can lace it exactly how you want, leave it as is, and still get in and out of the shoe effortlessly. It’s one of those quiet decisions that makes the product so much easier to live in.

That’s a really important part of our approach. We sweat the small stuff, and we put things into the shoe that most people might never see, but they’ll definitely feel. 

That’s certainly true of the JLD boot. 

Every once in a while, a project comes along that challenges the process and causes you to go somewhere new, somewhere untouched. For me and the team, that was the JLD boot.

While we didn’t want to make a trail running boot, we knew that this could lead to a new underfoot feel and style for UGG. The tension between [heritage and innovation] really guided the design. We added protective elements like a leather mudguard and a removable lace-up spat, my favorite part of the style. This creates the option to wear it on or off, totally changing the look.

A lot of folks have this preconception of what an UGG shoe is. Do you ever aim to address or reframe that in your work?

I’m definitely aware of the preconceptions people have about UGG, especially around the Classic Boot, because it’s such an icon. I think it’s important to honor that DNA, but also expand what that can mean for us today.

For men, that balance is especially key. I want the male consumer to see UGG as a brand for them. Something functional, versatile, and easy to style, without losing the coziness and emotional warmth. Part of the work is leaning into what people already love about UGG, and the other part is pushing the idea of what UGG can be: new silhouettes, new use cases, new ways to wear the product. It’s about broadening the palette while still staying true to the brand.

What does it say about UGG that it doesn't only encompass but encourages this level of newness?

I actually think heritage brands like UGG are in the best position to encourage this level of newness. There’s so much “stuff” in the world right now. We’re surrounded by product. Because of this, the things we choose to put out there have to be grounded in meaning. The past gives us a center of gravity, and that’s what allows the newness to land in a way that resonates.

What makes an UGG an UGG? How do you know when a design is complete?

Honestly, this is one of the hardest parts of the job. You can keep tweaking things forever, but at some point, you have to step back. For me, it’s more of a feeling or an intuition. Sometimes it’s simply the moment you realize it’s no longer incomplete, when the design can stand on its own without needing explanation.

It’s a similar instinct when you ask what makes something UGG. A design is UGG when it feels like UGG. When it has that emotional warmth, that relaxed ease, that sense of coziness in its attitude. Making that feel modern is really about expanding what that feeling can be.

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