Wardrobe Ledger

All brands

FIRE+ICE

Treat FIRE+ICE as a separate performance-sportswear brand, not as discounted BOGNER mainline. It was launched in 1989 from Willy Bogner's film Fire and Ice and is now the younger, freeride-led city-to-mountain line. The useful current ladder runs from €120 functional tops and €180–225 active trousers to €480–580 ski trousers and roughly €495–750 ski jackets. Read the exact specification: Nic trousers and selected Piaro/Ivo pieces reach 20,000mm/20,000 with four-way stretch and fully sealed seams, while Tajo, Eason and Dyre sit at 10,000mm water protection and 15,000 breathability. Both tiers are real ski clothing, but they are not interchangeable. Buy a fully sealed ski jacket or trouser when the fit, venting and snow protection suit you, usually after the recurring 30–40% reduction. Helly Hansen and Patagonia offer clearer value and ownership support, Arc'teryx a more exact severe-mountain system, and BOGNER mainline a more luxurious finish; FIRE+ICE wins when you want credible piste function with bolder, younger alpine styling at a lower price.

Scores

6.8C€€€ → €€ on sale

Quality
7/10
Design
7/10
Appeal
6/10

Usually €95–750

What to buy, and what to skip

  • StrongTrousers

    Usually €180–580Buy at or below €280

    The range has two useful levels. Bevan, Ludwig and Beat active trousers list around €180–225 and repeatedly fall to €109–135; ski trousers sit around €480–580. Nic is the benchmark, with 20,000/20,000 four-way stretch, full seam sealing, side ventilation, padding, edge protection and an internal snow guard. Felton and Scott show why model checking matters: they step down to 10,000mm waterproofing and 15,000 breathability despite similar styling. Buy a high-spec ski trouser around €300–350 after sale, or an active trouser around €120–150 when its stretch and pocket layout solve a real use. BOGNER mainline is more tailored and luxurious; Helly Hansen is usually the stronger value; Fjällräven is better for non-ski field durability.

  • StrongJackets & Coats

    Usually €250–750Buy at or below €400

    The main reason to shop the brand. Current lightweight and hybrid jackets begin around €250–350, quilted jackets around €395, new ski jackets around €495–550 and the more elaborate Dyre reaches €750. Tajo and Eason combine 10,000mm waterproofing, 15,000 breathability, four-way stretch, full seam sealing, snow skirts and ski-pass or goggle storage; Piaro and selected higher-spec models reach 20,000/20,000. That is substantially more evidence than a fashion puffer and roughly half the €1,495–1,995 BOGNER Sport ski-jacket tier. Helly Hansen offers stronger function-per-euro, Patagonia better repair support and Arc'teryx more exact shell architecture; FIRE+ICE offers the brighter resort silhouette. Buy a fully seam-sealed ski jacket around €350–450 after sale. A €350 casual hybrid without a membrane must win as ordinary outerwear, not inherit the ski specification.

  • StrongPerformance & Sport

    Usually €120–750Buy at or below €350

    A genuine performance range, provided you read each model. Functional tops begin around €120, first layers around €130–160, active trousers around €180–225, ski trousers around €480–580 and jackets around €495–750. At the top, Nic trousers publish 20,000/20,000, four-way stretch, full seam sealing, ventilation, light padding, gaiters and edge guards; Piaro reaches the same weather figures. Tajo, Eason and Dyre are a lower but still useful 10,000/15,000 tier. The gap is why the brand scores 7 rather than 8: a FIRE+ICE patch is not a membrane class. For resort skiing, buy the exact sealed construction near €300–400 after sale. For exposed touring or hard all-weather use, compare weight, hood geometry, abrasion, insulation and repair with Arc'teryx, Helly Hansen and Patagonia rather than shopping on waterproof number alone.

  • DecentShorts

    Usually €95–170Buy at or below €100

    Current swim shorts list around €95 and Carter functional shorts around €170, with repeated sale prices near €57 and €99. Quick-drying or stretch construction can make the technical pair useful, and the styling is more coherent with an active wardrobe than BOGNER's tailored summer rail. Patagonia, Columbia and running specialists still offer clearer pocket, liner and activity specifications for less. Buy a functional pair around €90–110 after checking fabric, rise and movement; ordinary sweatshorts at €160 are fleece borrowing the mountain identity.

  • DecentBags

    Usually €95–250Buy at or below €150

    The Park City packs are unusually specific for a fashion-sports line. Ive is €195 for a 12-litre, 480g ripstop and neoprene pack with padded straps, a 13-inch laptop pocket, bottle storage and a fixed mesh helmet carrier; Blair runs roughly €225–250 at 12–16 litres, while the belt bag is €95. That makes the series more coherent than BOGNER mainline's city bags, but it is still a compact resort/day pack without a published weather rating, load test, frame or repair programme. Buy Ive or Blair around €135–160 when the helmet carrier and small volume fit the job. Patagonia, The North Face and specialist ski-pack brands remain better for travel, heavier loads and documented outdoor ownership.

  • DecentFootwear

    Usually €195–270Buy at or below €160

    The current footwear line is small but not purely cosmetic: Montana, Robin and Taylor sneakers list around €240–270, Lake sandals at €195, and the collection uses Vibram outsoles; the sandals add quick-drying technical fabric. Current reductions put the sneakers around €145–159. That is a fair lifestyle-and-light-hiking proposition when grip and the alpine look matter, but FIRE+ICE publishes no running geometry, trail compound choice or model hierarchy comparable with Salomon, ASICS or specialist hiking footwear. Buy near €150–170 after trying the exact last. At full price, choose the footwear specialist unless the Vibram-equipped design itself is the reason.

  • AvoidT-Shirts

    Current Mick, Vito, Avan and Paco tees list around €60–95, with functional tops reaching €120 and sale prices commonly €36–69. A €120 technical first layer belongs under performance when its wicking and stretch matter; an €80 cotton Mick does not acquire 20,000mm construction from the jacket beside it. UNIQLO, ARMEDANGELS and Norse Projects provide clearer jersey or fibre value, while specialist base-layer brands better explain next-to-skin performance. Buy an actual functional layer around €70; skip the cotton logo tee.

  • AvoidPolo

    Ramon and Arjan polos list around €95–110, while the Mikka functional polo is about €110; current reductions place them near €57–69. The functional version may dry faster, but the brand publishes no polo construction or collar archive that challenges Lacoste or Fred Perry, and the ordinary piqué versions are logo basics. Buy Mikka below €70 only for a specific active use and fit. For cotton piqué, choose the specialist; FIRE+ICE money is better directed to a ski trouser or sealed jacket.

  • AvoidKnitwear

    The current knit category is too thin and confused to carry the brand's score: the shop surfaces €225 fleece hoodies beside the €295 Laurens knitted half-zip, while providing no knit-specialist identity comparable with MAERZ, Paul & Shark or even BOGNER mainline's merino, wool-cashmere and pure-cashmere ladder. A graphic knit may suit the freeride look, but it does not inherit seam sealing or weather ratings. Buy only after verifying a high natural-fibre composition around €170–190 in the sale; otherwise spend the same money on a specialist knit or a FIRE+ICE technical mid-layer.

  • AvoidSweats & Hoodies

    Cotton sweatpants currently list around €110–130, hoodies around €140–180 and fleece hoodies reach €225, with recurring reductions to roughly €79–109. Those are more approachable than BOGNER mainline fleece but remain ordinary jersey or pile unless a product explicitly functions as a technical mid-layer. The colour and FIRE+ICE patch can complete a resort look; they do not provide membrane, insulation or unusual construction. Buy only below about €90 when fabric weight and fit are excellent. Otherwise choose a true mid-layer or save for the categories where this brand publishes measurable performance.

On the design score

FIRE+ICE earns design 7 through a coherent film-born freeride language rather than through BOGNER mainline's historic authorship. Willy Bogner's 1986 Fire and Ice film turned speed, aerial skiing, colour and cinematic mountain movement into the source for the brand launched in 1989; current Tajo, Eason, Dyre and Nic pieces keep that attitude through strong colour blocking, contrast panels, reflective graphics, athletic regular fits and visible technical closures. The best full ski look remains identifiable as youthful Alpine sportswear even when the wordmark is covered, placing it with Helly Hansen, Napapijri and Parajumpers at 7 by a different route. It stays below BOGNER at 8 because FIRE+ICE did not author Maria Bogner's stretch-ski silhouette, and much of the summer, fleece and logo-jersey rail becomes generic activewear without the patch. Quality is 7. The ceiling is convincing: selected ski pieces publish 20,000mm waterproofing, 20,000g/m²/24h breathability, four-way stretch, full seam sealing, ventilation, gaiters and edge protection. The floor is lower and the range model-dependent: many current ski jackets are 10,000/15,000, casual outerwear may be only water-repellent, and the brand does not present the broad repair infrastructure or activity hierarchy that supports Patagonia, Helly Hansen or Arc'teryx. Recognition is 6: FIRE+ICE carries real status in German-speaking and European ski-resort settings, but internationally it is often read as a Bogner line rather than a standalone icon and draws a narrower reaction than BOGNER, Salomon or The North Face. The German flag and ownership match BOGNER because both brands sit in the same Munich company: Katjes International acquired 60% in 2025 and the Bogner family retained 40%.

Who owns it

Katjes International / Katjes Quiet Luxury GmbH (60%); Bogner family (40%)

Also owned by Katjes International (60%)

Owned by

How this was judged

Researched. Confidence high, checked 2026-08.

Wardrobe Ledger is an independent clothing research project and is not affiliated with the brands listed.

Official store