Fashion Mogul #1: Undeniable Infatuation with the Orange Ski Boot

The first installment of any proper column starts with the basics. Laying down the foundation, so to speak. One of the foundations of fashion is color theory.

It seems as though the bright orange Tecnica ski boots were all but inescapable at resorts across the country this past season. Specifically, the Men's Cochise 130 All Mountain/Freeride boots, priced at $799.95. See below.

For a little under a thousand dollars, we already know that there exists a sense of trust from consumers in the brand. There are also legitimate, functional aspects to this boot that make it desirable.

But there is also marketing. Notice how not all of the men's ski boots from Tecnica are bright orange.

Only the stiffest flex boots, the 130s, come in this obnoxious and unavoidable color. The design team surely knew what they were doing here: while the color is eye-catching, matches with nothing, and draws more attention than the rest of any skier's outfit (besides maybe Gus Kenworthy who often wears bright, monochromatic outfits even while competing), people are drawn to this boot. It serves its purpose. It makes a statement. It becomes desirable.

Case in point: I was getting fitted for new boots at the start of this season, and I overheard one man shake his head and say to his friend, "man, there's just something about those bright orange boots."

He wanted the bright orange boots over others that were more comfortable on his feet, or even more affordable. By wearing these particular Tecnicas, which are unmistakeable even from afar, everyone else on the mountain knows what flex your ski boot is. These boots are the unspoken equivalent of screaming, "I'm the best skier on the mountain."

One might think the color orange was chosen because the company uses orange for their branding and logo. But that is not the case. Other boots from Tecnica come in black, with orange detailing, and the women's ski boots largely lack the color orange altogether.

The women's ski boots (take the freeride, for example) come in a sensible color palettes: muted reds, plain whites, pale greens.

Even the Cochise 115, the women's highest flex boot, is a white boot with orange details, instead of the other way around. See below.

Not offering a bright orange boot in a women's version makes it even more desirable to men. Gendered products are largely the result of market research showing that marketing products towards a specific gender makes that audience more likely to purchase that item. (Think: "women's" sunscreen, "feminist" investing books, whatever that means, "men's" versus "women's" sweatpants, water bottles, etc.)

But back to the color theory. Besides being easier to match with other items in a ski ensemble (think: muted red with a rich brown or black, the pale green with other pastels, the white with, well anything) this decision from Tecnica's design team may have to do with the messages colors send us.

Colors communicate emotions and thoughts, whether those messages are conscious or subconscious. Colors also trigger psychological reactions, which can act to program our minds towards a specific goal or feeling.

For example, purple is often associated with royalty and luxury, while yellow is often associated with energy and happiness; see below.

The National Library of Medicine published an article in 2015 reviewing the correlation between color and psychological functioning.

The article states that "viewing red on or near a female has been shown to increase attraction in heterosexual males" but the same color red decreased people's desire to consume food (in a study where participants were given red plates compared to white or blue plates). Similarly, "blue stores/logos have been shown to increase quality and trustworthiness appraisals."

In other words, colors have a proven psychological effect on our consumption habits with love, food, and money. Ski boots certainly fall under the third category.

Bright orange boots, in a color associated with enthusiasm, success, and creativity, send a message that says, "I don't care about anything other than sending, getting radical, and skiing hard."

At least, that's what the branding makes one believe.

You may be thinking that this is taking a deep dive into a topic with a simple explanation: safety. Bright colors make it easier to find ski poles, skis, mittens, and anything else we lose in deep powder.

But think about it-- when is the last time you saw a neon green or neon yellow ski boot as ubiquitous as the orange Tecnicas? Yes, there are the iconic Full Tilt pink ski boots, but they had a niche following and were designed with style in mind. Park skiers tend to care more about style than other skiers on the mountain.

Neon blue boots, as another example, were typically sold to racers, who also have their own unique styles and customs regarding fit and color of ski equipment.

What makes the bright orange Tecnica boots so interesting is that they are popular right now with a demographic who tends not to care about style, or at least acts like they don't. Tecnica has actually managed to create a trend within a culture where it is seen as uncool to dress up for the activity.

We have all heard comments berating someone for "trying too hard" on the slopes. Or maybe we have seen posts mocking "Aspen ski bunnies" or "Jerrys" for wearing certain things we deem "uncool."

I have even been mocked by some of my male skier friends for wearing a monochromatic ski kit because "it's not a fashion show." (I got it for free, and trust me, do you think I find it cool to be wearing a bright pink ensemble resembling a fartbag?)

The coolest thing to do, it seems, for freestyle skiers, is to rock battered old poles that look like they could snap at any second. To wear mismatched articles of clothing that are functional, but perhaps not fashionable.

Now, we have the Tecnica ski boots, making waves across a pond normally reserved for cool-topsheets-only.

The last piece of this puzzle is the historical relevance of the color orange in ski fashion. Bright colors--bright orange, specifically--have been a staple for ski boots dating back to the '70s. In an issue of Powder from 1977 , an ad for Raichle ski boots appears, the ad claiming that if skiers give them 15 minutes, they'll get a great fit.

I haven't seen anyone wearing Raichle ski boots in a while, but the color orange certainly seems to be around for the long haul.

Related: Keep Your Clips Up #8: Best Ski Videos of the Week

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