Moon Boots: Formally Aspen’s favorite piece of tourist gear, most commonly paired with microwave jackets and lip filler. Brought to the world of ski resort-chic in the 70s and is now unfortunately, a trend of the past. Say goodbye to classic Aspen fashion, because this is the start of the end.

I get it, the comfort of a safety shoe that goes with ‘every outfit’ is appealing, but at the cost of fashion? Walking through town during the winter is full of Jordan, Sambas, and Converse sightings; if it isn’t one of the five repeated sneaker brands, you’re usually seeing UGG slippers or Dr. Martens, (which in my opinion do NOTHING for you on the icy sidewalks and roads). Aspen’s favorite funky boot is being booted from the beloved town it has called home for decades; there needs to be a stop to this atrocity before it’s too late, or the iconic moon boot legacy will be gone forever.

So why the sudden change of heart in Aspen fashion trends? The answer lies in the youth who’ve opted for a more minimalistic approach. When this change occurred is unclear, but nevertheless, the optics of the situation are unacceptable. Just three years ago, teenagers all over the country were running around in demonias, bright colored sweater vests, and cow print bucket hats. Granted, many of these trends were interesting, to say the least – but the idea still applies.

One theory of why everyone suddenly hates moon boots is mob mentality. If your friend hates something, 9/10 times you’ll start to hate it too. Especially in high school environments when the opinions of your peers matter – or so teens believe. Who first started hating the most fabulous funky boot remains a mystery, but the issue still remains.

Another theory is tourists. Locals will do anything in their power to differentiate themselves from the people that plague our town every winter season (rightfully so). However, we can’t all be ski bums (no matter how hard I try to achieve perfect slut strands and braids under my helmet every year). Looking cute AND skiing sometimes makes you look like a tourist, and I think we as a town need to accept that fact of life. I mean, who doesn’t want to look like they just popped out of the 70’s when hitting the slopes?

Moon Boots are the foundation of a classic winter-in-Aspen fit whether you would like to admit it or not. Sure, they don’t go with everything like your Nike Blazers, but that’s the beauty of them. Hate to break it to all of you avid Moon Boot haters out there, but they truly are the perfect winter boot. Warm, comfy, good on ice and snow, and available in dozens of fun colors and styles, there’s literally nothing wrong with them.

You can count on me walking through the halls looking like an astronaut this winter because as soon as over three inches of snow hit the ground, I’ll be rocking my pair of tall, and short moon boots all season long. I hope you all do the same and embrace looking like a tourist for a season. Don’t worry, I’m not buying a microwave jacket (yet).