Emu Australia enters new chapter following brand evolution

Most people know Emu Australia for one thing: its sheepskin boots. But the brand’s heritage and its product offering run considerably deeper than that. The Australian footwear brand is currently undertaking a complete overhaul of its business, including a rebranding and a new e-commerce platform, with an elevated campaign for FW26 and a collaboration with skiwear brand We Norwegians, launching soon. Here, FashionUnited takes a closer look at how Emu Australia is preparing its brand for the next stage of growth.

The brand first started in 1948, at Jackson’s Tannery in Victoria as one of the original makers of sheepskin boots. Close to eight decades later, Emu Australia continues to manufacture a selection of its footwear in Australia, using A-grade, Woolmark-accredited, and SATRA-certified water-resistant Australian sheepskin and Woolmark Merino wool. Officially launching under the name Emu Australia in 1994, the brand quickly rose to international acclaim in the 2000s following the Australian sheepskin boot trend, which saw interest in slip-on sheepskin boots go from a niche style in surf culture to a mainstream fashion essential. In the late 2010s, interest in Emu Australia skyrocketed once more following the debut of its sheepskin slipper, Mayberry.

Emu Australia rebrands for global lifestyle market

Now the brand has quietly been undergoing what it describes as a “comprehensive brand evolution,” as it seeks to redefine how Emu Australia presents itself to a global audience, while remaining anchored to its Australian heritage. The brand is set to launch a full rebrand, built around four anchors, as well as a new e-commerce platform later this year as part of its transformation. Its refreshed brand identity is anchored around these four pillars: ‘Born to go beyond,’ ‘Nature shapes us,’ ‘The emu guides us,’ and ‘Comfort is our calling.’ Each of the pillars leans into the brand’s Australian individuality, or what the brand calls “emu-ness,” rather than serving as a product function alone, as it positions itself within the premium lifestyle market.

The first stage of its imagined brand can be seen in Emu Australia’s Fall/Winter 2026 campaign, which offers a more elevated visual direction that is centered on craftsmanship, natural textures and timeless design. Another sneak peek of Emu Australia’s new brand direction can be seen in its upcoming collaboration with  Scandinavian knitwear and skiwear label We Norwegians. First announced last October, the limited edition Fall/Winter capsule collection includes winter boots, two sweater styles and accessories in a color palette of red, white and blue, as a nod to both nations’ flags.

The collaboration between the two brands is a natural fit and extension of both their values. We Norwegians, founded in 2014 by Tove Grane and Øyvind Lauritzen in Voss, began with a love of Merino wool, the same natural fiber that has defined Emu Australia’s footwear for generations. With flagship stores in London, Aspen and Park City, the Norwegian label also sits firmly in some of the lifestyle markets and spaces that Emu Australia’s brand repositioning is leaning towards.

“We wanted to merge Scandinavian heritage with the relaxed Australian lifestyle and Emu Australia was the perfect partner,” said Grane, founder and head designer at We Norwegians, in a press release. Aleks Polak, women’s designer at Emu Australia, described the result as “a collection that feels both modern and timeless — pieces designed to be cherished through many winters.” The capsule collection will launch with selected premium retailers and on emuaustralia.com in September 2026.

Emu Australia’s brand evolution is also being backed by commercial and retail momentum. The brand is currently available in 50 countries across 3,000 points of sale, spanning premium department stores, key accounts and independent boutiques. Its wholesale network includes SSENSE, Brown Thomas, Isetan, United Arrows, David Jones, Rinascente, El Corte Inglés, Takashimaya, Free People and Urban Outfitters among others.

While Australia remains the brand’s home market, Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom are quickly becoming Emu Australia’s most important markets, each with what the brand describes as an “incredibly loyal customer base.” Building on this demand, Emu Australia is continuing to expand across these key markets through both wholesale partnerships and premium retail distribution.

The brand’s own consumer research suggests the fundamentals are in place for this push: 94 percent of buyers rate Emu Australia’s comfort as outstanding, while 80.2 percent recognise its price-to-quality balance, the sort of value perception a premium brand repositioning needs beneath it.

As Emu Australia enters its next chapter, the challenge will be translating its heritage and loyal customer base into a more elevated global brand. If its rebranding, retail expansion and strategic collaborations resonate with consumers, the brand could be well positioned to move beyond its identity as a sheepskin boot maker and strengthen its place in the premium lifestyle market.