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COLORFUL SNEAKERS

How design choices can influence what you buy.

January 2022
By Andrew Klein

Science World (Photo Illustration); Nike (Green Sneaker)

A rainbow of colorful sneakers line the walls of a shoe store. You scan the rows. Your eyes land on a pair of lime-green high-tops with black details. They seem to say: “I’m the perfect pair for you.” And that’s not far from the truth. Companies spend a lot of time thinking about how colors might connect with customers.

“Colors can make us feel things. And wearing a specific color can reveal how you’re feeling,” says Deborah Hernandez. She’s a certified color specialist and professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.

People usually decide whether they like an item of clothing within seconds of seeing it. If a customer doesn’t like its color, they probably won’t buy it. That’s why it’s important for designers to choose the right colors for sneakers, T-shirts, skateboards, or anything else they’re creating. To do that, they use color theory. Part art and part science, this set of guidelines helps designers and artists combine colors to create the most pleasing and stylish products.

COLOR DECODED

Color theory dates back to the 1660s. English scientist Sir Isaac Newton conducted experiments using prisms. He found that these transparent crystals could bend light. This separated the sun’s white light into a rainbow of hues: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. He called what he witnessed the visible spectrum. 

Newton organized the visible spectrum into the color wheel (see The Color Wheel, below). This circle was not just a useful scientific tool to organize colors. Artists and designers found that they could also use it to come up with color combinations that people connect with. 

The Color Wheel


Artists and designers use the color wheel (left) to choose color combinations for their projects. The types of colors that make up the color wheel are shown below.


Primary Colors

Yellow, red, and blue are primary colors. They can be mixed to create any other color on the color wheel.



Secondary Colors

Orange, violet, and green are secondary colors created by mixing two primary colors.



Tertiary Colors

There are six tertiary colors, like blue-green and red-violet, created by mixing a primary color with a secondary color.


MORE THAN A FEELING

Artists and designers use different color combinations to make people feel different ways. Complementary colors, for example, lie across from each other on the color wheel. These colors stand out when paired together. Designers might use complementary colors like blue and orange when they want their styles to be noticed. 

Analogous colors are found next to each other on the color wheel. When people see these colors together, they might make connections with nature. For instance, red, yellow, and orange can remind people of fall foliage. Shades of blue and green make some people think of the ocean or forest. 

Nike (Space Jam Sneaker); Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures (Roadrunner, Wile E. Coyote)

ROAD RUNNERS: This pair of shoes is Space Jam-themed. The left one references the colors of the Road Runner.

COYOTE KICKS: The right shoe references the colors of the character Wile E. Coyote.

 

PERSONAL PREFERENCES 

Color theory isn’t the only thing designers use to come up with color combos. They also find inspiration in pop culture, like movies, TV shows, or video games. Recently, Nike released a pair of mismatched sneakers inspired by the movie Space Jam: A New Legacy. The sneakers match the colors of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. 

People also have personal color preferences that reflect their backgrounds and where they live. For instance, in the U.S. Southwest, people tend to prefer clothes in warm colors because it’s often hot there. But those who live in colder climates, like in Scandinavia, often prefer cool colors. 

People also tend to get a little more wild with their sneakers than their other clothes. That’s because they’re on your feet. Shoes aren’t the focus of an outfit—they’re usually meant to add a pop of color. So “people are motivated to be more daring with their sneaker choices and step outside their comfort zone,” says Hernandez.

What You Need to Know About Color
Students will watch a video about colors.
Physical Science

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