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Brett Golliff is a designer experienced in the sneaker, automotive and other industries who shares his insight on sneaker design with us. Follow him on Twitter @bgolliff.
I don’t care if a shoe makes you run faster, jump higher or score 60 points in a game, if it doesn’t look good you won’t wear it. Of course, I'm coming at this from a purely design perspective. Over the years it has become my belief that color is the single most important thing a sneaker can possess. It can be the reason you buy the shoe and it can be the single reason why you detest the shoe. The best colors wind up becoming the very identity of a sneaker.
Check what I consider to be The 10 Most Significant Colors in Sneaker History.
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10. Cool Grey
Hex Color Code: 5E6167
Most Signifcant Sneaker: Air Jordan XI
Released: 2001
Grey isn't technically a color. You can't mix any color to create grey, and it isn't as simple as adding white to black. Grey is a shade. It is considered a shade because it is an intensity of white and black. You would think a shade wouldn't be so impactful but yet Cool Grey has become a staple in sneakers. The first time it had an intense impact was on the release of the Air Jordan XI. It debuted as a Retro+ color in the spring of 2000 and became an instant classic. Solidifying itself as a shade to remember.
9. Eggplant
Hex Color Code: 312951
Most Signifcant Sneaker: Nike Air Foamposite One
Released: 2008
The significance of the implementation of the Eggplant color is huge. It was the first time I remember a color shifting on a production sneaker. Was it purple? Blue? Green? Was it high gloss? Or was it matte? It provided so much depth and movement that it shifted what the future of color could be in sneakers. It was no longer about selecting a single pantone color as you could now pick an effect.
8. Infrared
Hex Color Code: FF2247
Most Signifcant Sneaker: Nike Air Max 90
Released: 1990
Most colors that dominate the market are colors that are both consistent and clean and can be worn with anything or they are a color that is high in chroma and polarizing and demand to be seen. Infrared is one of the most chromatic colors to ever be on a sneaker. It instantly grabbed the attention of the viewer as it forced their retinas to focus on the areas of the shoe it was used on. The color was used to call out function, whether that be the technology or to make people aware of the brand is another topic.
7. New Green
Hex Color Code: 00AFC4
Most Signifcant Sneaker: Nike LeBron 8 "South Beach"
Released: 2010
This color signified a new beginning in sneakers. Not just for LeBron going to Miami but also for what would become colorways that were built off stories that weren't focused around the court. It also started the current area of high chroma fluorescent colors that are tonal and no longer just a hit of color. Colors like this are almost making every general release a must have. There really are no longer just "simple" colorways of shoes and all started with the mass response to this color.
6. Pink Flash
Hex Color Code: EF4657
Most Signifcant Sneaker: Nike Air Yeezy
Released: 2009
Simply put, the Yeezy line made pink dope. It took the color space from being soft and delicate to an area that punched you in the face because it was such a strong hue. No longer did you have to convince people you were a confident person because you wore pink because this bold color provided the confidence for you.
5. Royal Blue
Hex Color Code: 1E3F9F
Most Signifcant Sneaker: Nike Air Foamposite One
Released: 1996
Royal Blue is a color that has been around for over 200 years — it was created for Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom. She created a hot color but Nike made it a dope hue. Royal Blue took team colors to a sophisticated level on the Air Jordan 1 and in the spring of 1997 it had its most polarizing representation yet in the form of the Flightposite 1. Since then the color has become a staple of nearly every companies palette.
4. Tiffany Blue
Hex Color Code: 00FFEC
Most Signifcant Sneaker: Nike Dunk Low Pro SB "Tiffany"
Released: 2005
All collaborations that have ever happened can thank the Tiffany Blue color for their chance to succeed. While there were collaborative colorways before this that were great, there was not, and still has not been, a collaboration shoe that has been as significant as the Diamond Co. x Nike SB Tiffany Dunk. The color was polarizing and sophisticated and has forced line planners to include the color in their seasonal palette across all companies in the Streetwear and Action Sports industries.
3. Purple and Gold
Hex Color Code: 433053/F4B042
Most Signifcant Sneaker: Converse Weapon
Released: 1986
Technically these are two colors, but when combined they create a force that is undeniable. The colors automatically tell you what they represent, the Lakers. They are bold and very strong. It is a very hard colorway to take off the court or out of the stands but when done properly it can be very refined.
2. Varsity Red
Hex Color Code: B013017
Most Signifcant Sneaker: Nike Air Jordan I
Released: 1985
The ultimate team color that doesn't feel like a team color is Varsity Red. It is significant enough to stand on its own but it can also bring a whole group of sneakers together to form a unit. It has heritage and yet it is still fresh, it is the most consistent color on this list. It was banned once but it has never gone away since then and 50 years from now it will still be gracing our feet as a dope and bold color.
1. Volt
Hex Color Code: CEFF00
Most Signifcant Sneaker: Nike Air Max 90 Hyperfuse
Released: 2011
The most dominant color in sneakers for the past five years has been Volt. It is the first color that I can remember in the sneaker industry to become a brand color. Volt has become synonymous with the Swoosh and specifically their running line. Which makes sense, as Volt is a hue that falls into the color space that is most sensitive to the human eye. So if you want to unveil a new product in front of a million-plus viewers at the Olympics, why wouldn't you use a color that everyone will notice? It's almost to the point where the color is more noticeable then the Swoosh. First you see the color and then you see the logo. They make a perfect combination.