It’s a blue foot. A big, hairy, Yeti-like foot with a hockey puck embedded in the sole. If you were a kid in the late 90s watching Joe Sakic or Peter Forsberg tear up the ice, that image is probably seared into your brain. The Colorado Avalanche foot logo wasn't the main crest—that was the stylized "A" with the mountain-shaped snow swoosh—but for many fans, the secondary mark became the real soul of the franchise. It’s weird. It’s slightly aggressive. It looks like something pulled off the side of a 1970s custom van.
And yet, when the team officially retired it back in 2015, the outcry was real.
Hockey logos usually go for "classic" or "fierce." Think of the Detroit Red Wings' winged wheel or the Chicago Blackhawks' iconic head. Then there's Colorado. When the Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver in 1995, they needed a brand that screamed "Rocky Mountains." They got the Avalanche name, the burgundy and steel blue colors, and a secondary logo that literally leaned into the local mythology of Bigfoot.
The Origin of the Abominable Footprint
The Colorado Avalanche foot logo didn't just appear out of nowhere. It was designed by the New York-based firm The Works, specifically creative director Derek Gieraltowski. The goal was to create a visual identity for a team that had no history in its new city. They needed something "edge" for the 90s. At the time, sports design was moving away from the minimalist styles of the 80s and toward "Xtreme" aesthetics.
Think about the context of 1995. The NBA was introducing the cartoonish Toronto Raptors and the teal Vancouver Grizzlies. The NHL was experimenting with the "Burger King" jersey for the Kings and the "Fisherman" for the Islanders. In that landscape, a giant blue foot actually felt somewhat restrained.
The foot was meant to represent a "Yeti." It served a dual purpose. First, it sat on the shoulders of the jerseys, providing a color contrast against the burgundy. Second, it gave the team a mascot opportunity. This eventually birthed "Howler the Yeti," the original Avalanche mascot who looked exactly like the logo come to life. Howler was a chaotic, furry mess who reportedly got into a physical altercation with a Chicago Blackhawks fan in 1999, which is basically the peak of 90s hockey energy.
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Why Fans Keep Buying the Throwbacks
If you go to Ball Arena in Denver today, you’ll see thousands of fans wearing jerseys that haven't been "current" for a decade. Why? Because the Colorado Avalanche foot logo represents the golden era.
1996 and 2001. Those are the years that matter. When Patrick Roy was winning playoff games by himself and Ray Bourque finally lifted the Cup, they were wearing that foot on their shoulders. You can't separate the logo from the legend. For a generation of Gen X and Millennial fans, that blue footprint is synonymous with dominance.
Honestly, the "A" logo is objectively better graphic design. It’s cleaner. It fits the modern "flat design" aesthetic that brands love today. But sports isn't about objective design. It's about how you felt when you were twelve years old watching a goalie fight. The foot logo feels like Colorado. It feels like hiking through the pines and half-joking about seeing Sasquatch. It’s local.
The team tried to replace it with a "C" logo—a nod to the Colorado state flag—around 2015. On paper, that makes sense. It’s "classier." It ties into the heritage of the Colorado Rockies (the old NHL team, not the baseball team). But many fans felt it was boring. It lacked the personality of the hairy blue appendage.
Breaking Down the Design Elements
Let's look at the actual anatomy of this thing. Most secondary logos are just a letter or a simplified version of the main crest. Not this one.
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- The Fur: It’s not just a foot; it’s a textured, shaggy representation of a beast.
- The Puck: There is a black puck literally stuck in the bottom of the heel. It’s a bit literal, sure, but it anchors the logo to the sport.
- The Arch: The way the foot is arched suggests it’s in mid-stride. It’s an active logo, not a static one.
When Adidas took over the NHL jersey contract, they leaned heavily into the "C" logo for the alternate jerseys. While those look sharp, the secondary market for "Foot Logo" gear has exploded. Brands like 47 Brand and Mitchell & Ness continue to pump out hats and hoodies featuring the Yeti foot because they know it sells.
The Mystery of the "Missing" Mascot
You can't talk about the Colorado Avalanche foot logo without talking about the disappearance of Howler. After the 1990s, Howler just... vanished. He was replaced by Bernie the St. Bernard in 2009.
Bernie is fine. He’s a good boy. He’s kid-friendly. But he isn't a Yeti.
The removal of the foot logo from the jerseys in 2015 felt like the final nail in the coffin for the Yeti theme. The team moved toward a "Mountain Peak" shoulder patch before settling on the state-flag "C." This move was part of a larger league-wide trend toward "traditionalism." Teams wanted to look like they had been around since 1920, even if they moved from Quebec in the 90s.
But here is the thing: the Avalanche aren't an "Original Six" team. They are a "New Age" powerhouse. Embracing the weirdness of the foot logo was part of what made their identity unique. When you strip that away, you lose a bit of the "Rocky Mountain" grit that defined the early Cup runs.
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Fact Check: Did the Foot Ever Change?
Interestingly, the logo remained remarkably consistent during its 20-year run. While the main "A" logo saw very minor color tweaks over the years to match changing jersey fabrics and dye lots, the foot stayed the same. It was a constant.
Some people mistakenly believe the foot was a "Bigfoot" track. Technically, the team always referred to it as a "Yeti foot." It’s a small distinction, but in the world of cryptozoology and sports branding, details matter. The Yeti is a creature of the cold and the snow, fitting perfectly with the "Avalanche" name.
How to Spot Authentic Foot Logo Gear
Because of the nostalgia factor, the market is flooded with knockoffs. If you are looking for an original starter jersey or a Pro Player sweater from the late 90s, check the embroidery on the Colorado Avalanche foot logo.
On authentic vintage jerseys, the stitching is dense. The blue "fur" has a slight sheen to it. On modern "vintage-style" shirts, the logo is often screen-printed or uses a simplified patch that lacks the depth of the original. Collectors specifically look for the "starter" brand logo on the sleeve, which usually indicates the jersey was made during the height of the foot's popularity.
Actionable Steps for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to embrace the Yeti-era aesthetic, here is how to do it right:
- Hunt for "CCM Vintage" or "Starter" Labels: These are the gold standard for jerseys featuring the original foot logo. They have the correct "heavy" feel of 90s hockey gear.
- Look for the "Reverse Retro" 1.0: In 2020-21, the Avalanche released a Reverse Retro jersey that used the Quebec Nordiques design but in Avalanche colors. While it didn't feature the foot prominently, it sparked a massive revival in "weird" 90s Avs gear.
- Check Local Denver Thrift Stores: Locations in the Capitol Hill or Highlands neighborhoods often have "donated" gems from fans who have lived in the city since the 95 move.
- Support the "Save the Foot" Community: There are active groups on Reddit and Twitter (X) that constantly lobby the Avalanche front office to bring back the Yeti foot as a permanent third-jersey shoulder patch.
The Colorado Avalanche foot logo is more than just a piece of clip art from the 90s. It’s a symbol of a time when the NHL wasn't afraid to be a little bit strange. It represents the arrival of hockey in Denver and the immediate, violent success that followed. Whether or not it ever returns to the official uniform, it remains the unofficial crest of the die-hard fan base. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the weirdest ideas are the ones that stick the longest.