UGG and Reese Cooper Take Reinvention Into Uncharted Territory
What does it take to turn an icon inside out—and make it feel brand new? In pursuit of this answer, UGG has turned to acclaimed designer and creative mind Reese Cooper. And for Cooper, he believes the answer lies in a deep respect for brand heritage paired with an obsession for function. Their collaboration moves beyond a simple update on a beloved classic, and instead takes it to an entirely new world.
Over the years, UGG has continuously evolved, balancing authenticity with reinvention. From collaborations with designers like Telfar and Eckhaus Latta to runway moments and experimental silhouettes, the brand has proven itself to be more than a nostalgic relic—it’s a contemporary classic with the agility to adapt. Now, Reese Cooper is welcoming UGG into a new era. His take on the footwear powerhouse is done by infusing it with his own utilitarian, technically-driven vision to create something undeniably of-the-moment.
To present the conceptualization that brought the project to life, we hosted a conversation between Cooper and Kesang Ball, co-founder and Head of Content and Community at travel platform Trippin.
When asked on the genesis moment of his approach to the collab, Cooper admitted he had used an abused a fair few sets of the boots himself. “I was on my third pair—I kept ruining them with water,” Cooper says. “That's when I got inspired to make these actually waterproof—that need sparked the idea.” Expanding on the inspiration he drew from durability, he noted his muse for the project, close friend Bella. “My friend Bella, who lives in rural Pennsylvania, became a reference point,” he adds.
Despite the immense amount of work needed to bring the project to life, Cooper noted that the clear vision for what they were working on made the process fly. “From first sketch to first sample, the process took about two months,” Cooper explains. “The whole thing was a kind of exploration. We experimented constantly to figure out what aligned with the ethos of the collab.”
But beyond aesthetics, functionality remained front and center. Fly fishing—a personal hobby of Cooper’s—was woven into the campaign rollout as both metaphor and proof-of-concept. “We wanted to show the product actually works in the environments we’re designing for—not just the city,” he notes.
Still, for all its intentionality, the design journey wasn’t without its challenges. “There were so many creative possibilities, and it was scary to commit to one,” Cooper admits. “But choosing a path led to some really positive surprises.” With the support of incredible materials and trusted partners from UGG, those challenges quickly turned into opportunities. “UGG brought amazing materials and great partners to the table,” Cooper says. “It felt expansive, not limiting.” The collaboration’s creative freedom was key to pushing the project beyond its original scope, allowing Cooper to explore unexpected directions without compromising his vision.
In the end, Reese Cooper’s collaboration with UGG isn’t just about creating a shoe you can admire from afar—it’s about encouraging people to wear it, explore, and even get it a little messy. “These shoes are meant to get dirty,” Cooper says, reflecting on the functional beauty that lies at the heart of the design. The shoes are as much about adventure as they are about style, a perfect blend of rugged utility and sleek design. “I want people to take them out into the world and see them get covered in mud. That’s a sign they’re being used for what they’re made for.”
The beauty of these boots, he explains, isn’t in their pristine condition but in their wear—how each mark, each speck of dirt, tells a story of exploration. True craftsmanship, evidently, isn’t just about how something looks when it’s new, but how it performs and evolves over time. And as UGG continues to push the boundaries of design, Cooper’s vision is clear: get your own pair on, and get out there ASAP.
Shop UGG x Reese Cooper
Discover more about the collection here.
