Bearpaw Holdings LLC (simply known as Bearpaw, stylized BEARPAW) is an American brand of footwear, apparel, and accessories.

History

The brand was founded by Tom Romeo in 2001 with the purpose of, according to its website, redefining casual footwear by utilizing sheepskin to create comfortable and stylish footwear. In one of the most competitive footwear market segments, with

UGG Australia UGG is an American fashion company primarily known for its sheepskin boots, founded in 1978 by Australian surfer Brian Smith in Santa Monica, California. After putting on his pair of Australian sheepskin boots after a chilly late-night surf in ...

and

EMU Australia EMU Australia (simply referred to as EMU; pronounced ''eem-you'', often mispronounced ''eem-moo'') is an Australian lifestyle brand that designs, produces and markets footwear and accessories. The brand is best known for their sheepskin and Meri ...

as main competitors for producing sheepskin footwear, Bearpaw has carved out a niche area by providing customers with comfort and sensibility to set itself apart. The first Bearpaw retail store opened in

Citrus Heights, California Citrus Heights is a city in Sacramento County, California. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 87,583, up from 83,301 at the 2010 U.S. Census. History Citrus Heights voters approved the measure to incorporate the City on No ...

in 2011, where the brand is headquartered. In 2018, the brand started producing vegan made boots (non-sheepskin), specifically with vegan microsuede (polyester), polyester blend lining, and rubber outsoles. In June 2018, Bearpaw acquired Flip Flop Shops, a brand owned by

Cherokee Inc. Cherokee Inc., also known as Apex Global Brands, is an American based global apparel and footwear company, headquartered in Sherman Oaks, California. The company was established in 1973 and its brands are available in 110 countries in 12,000 ret ...

Products

Bearpaw's signature products are its sheepskin boots, otherwise known as

ugg boots Ugg boots are a unisex style of sheepskin boot originating in Australia. The boots are typically made of twin-faced sheepskin with fleece on the inside, a tanned outer surface and a synthetic sole. The term "ugg boots" originated in Australia ...

, which come in various styles and colors. The brand also produces hiking boots, slippers, sneakers and accessories for men, women and children.

Legal issues

In November 2010,

Deckers Outdoor Corporation Deckers Outdoor Corporation, doing business as Deckers Brands, is a footwear designer and distributor based in Goleta, California, United States. It was founded in 1973 by University of California, Santa Barbara alumni Doug Otto and Karl F. ...

, which owns the

brand, filed a lawsuit against the Bearpaw brand for copying UGG brand designs (both Bearpaw and UGG Australia produce immensely similar products, especially their sheepskin boots). The litigation was resolved mutually by both parties in February 2012. Tom Romeo faced legal trouble in 2014, when he was charged by a federal grand jury of Sacramento, California for evading nearly $5.6 million in customs duties, where his employees created false invoices that undervalued footwear he imported from

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

References

External links

*{{Official website, https://www.bearpaw.com
Deckers v. Romeo & Juliette
2000s fashion 2010s fashion 2020s fashion Retail companies established in 2001 Shoe companies of the United States Shoe brands Companies based in Sacramento County, California Citrus Heights, California