Explore colour psychology in five simple ways

It seems the whole world is feeling a bit ‘up in the air’ at the moment. And uncertain times call for engagement with beautiful things that ground, as well as, uplift us.

Cue the mahabis 2023 spring collection, a range of colourful shoes like no other. Each and every colour-way has been expertly developed by our colour design specialists/ in-house designers to ensure they’re as vibrant, unique and charming as can be. 

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In this blog post, we explore colour psychology in five simple ways and look at how colour can reflect our mood in how we wear it and how we are influenced by it. 

1.What do colours mean?

Colour theory psychology finds that each and every colour in the world has a distinct definition. So red, for example, is most commonly used to emit a sense of caution, while green is frequently seen as a hopeful hue that portrays luck. Purple is historically the colour of spirituality and imagination and is more recently being used in the LBGTQIA+ community to represent gender neutrality. Meanwhile, yellow is all about happiness and optimism as we know, and blue relates to trust and loyalty. 

2. How we can react emotionally to colour

From the shoes on our feet to the shades on our walls, colours boast a strong emotional impact. Perceptions of colour, so how we interpret them, can be subjective, but some colour effects have universal meanings. Colours that fall in the red area of the spectrum are known as warm colours, like red, orange, and yellow and they can conjure up emotions ranging from comfort to hostility. Yet on the other end of the spectrum are cool colours, these include blue, purple and green, which can create a range of feelings from calm to sadness.

3. Elements that impact colour preferences

There’s a whole host of factors that can influence our favourite hues - our cultural heritage is a huge one. Where we lived as a child and live now can influence our decisions when choosing which shade to go for. This is because we have been and are inspired by nuanced concepts like artefacts and our surrounding nature. And then there are the cultural differences in meanings behind colours as well, so purple can mean something completely different in France vs. the UK, impacting its popularity entirely.

4. How colours can promote wellbeing 

Certain hues have the ability to affect our total mind-body. ​​Take blue shades as a prime example, they possess mood-elevating characteristics and can make us feel refreshed and even euphoric. And pink, associated with compassion, is a sign of hope and thus has the power to reassure our emotional energies when they may be depleted. We love deep red shades, which can give you an instant energy boost.

5. How we wear colour can change how we feel 

Deciding how to wear colour can impact our mood. Think head to toe vs. a splash of colour. Wearing colour all over can make us stand out and feel confident. But like our subtle yet impactful injection of colour on mahabis slipper soles, this approach can be just enough to make you feel unique and totally put together.

Shop our new colourful collection here