I have an Isle with a gorgeous purple bottom ply but a fucking yellow top. yellow is only one step above natural light ply as my least favorite. I don’t believe in the red ply superstition and would prefer those first.
Ha yeah it is a funny one, the old skater preference.
Never liked red tops. Loved yellow and orange tops as they were all that most boards I rode came with for a few years and never had a bad one.
Natural tops just don't do it for me at all. Natural bottoms are not a whole lot better now I have had some really good bottom stains more recently, but I can deal with natural bottoms if they had a nice stained top, or they skated well.
End of the day, if they feel good, no worries, but if they feel soggy, or uncomfortable, they will be gone very quickly.