The great Trinidadian philosopher Haddaway once asked, “what is love?” Love could be around the corner waiting for any of us. Love is a special emotion that can captivate even the Grinch-iest of hearts and drive the most logical person to do silly things. Each year sneaker companies try their hardest to evoke the fleeting and mysterious feeling of enamoration. To celebrate the upcoming day of love, we’ve narrowed down some of our favorite Valentine’s Day sneakers of all time.
Image via StreetFashion01 on Twitter
Nike Air Force 1 2004
As a part of their Valentine’s Day collection in 2004, Nike kept it simple on their AF1, dressing it in a white patent leather base with red Swooshes. They also featured heart logos embroidered on the tongue and heels.
Image via Depop
Nike Air Max 95 2004
2004 was one of the best years for Valentine’s Day sneakers with Nike’s festive showings still making an impact nearly two decades later. Taking an iconic tonal red look with a stark white midsole, this Air Max 95 is one of the most eye-catching variations of the silhouette. Include that the Air Max tag on the tongue is heart-shaped and you have one of the most lovely sneakers Cupid could wear.
Image via Depop
Nike Dunk Low 2004
As a part of their 2004 Valentine’s Day collection, the Swoosh went for a bold approach with the Nike Dunk Low. Whereas their take on the Air Force 1 was a more muted take with white patent leather and red accents, the Dunk Low took the opposite route. Dressed in red patent leather with white swooshes and white hearts on the toe, the Dunk Low took the same aesthetic as the AF1 and made it somehow even better.
Image Via Depop
Nike Dunk Low Valentine’s Day 2006
The Nike Dunk Low ‘Valentine’s Day’ from 2006 just feels warm and cuddly, despite the slick patent leather build. Drawing inspiration from the heart bear gift we’ve all received at some point in time, the shoe features an “I love you” printed pattern all over the toe box and the shoe collar.
Air Jordan 5 Retro Girls Valentine’s Day 2013
Valentine’s Day is way cooler for the kids. Way less emotional pressure and some of the coolest kicks to celebrate the holiday much like the Air Jordan 5 Retro Girls that dropped back in 2013. Dressed in a metallic red upper with pink hits on the midsole and tongue, this impressive representation of the holiday was made even more perfect with the embroidered hearts found on the shoe’s heel.
Nike SB Dunk Valentine’s Day 2014
The inaugural Valentine’s Day offering from Nike Skateboarding holds a special place in our hearts (get it?). Reminiscent of the classic University Red colorway, the 2014 edition of the SB Dunk Low “Valentine’s Day” offered premium suede overlays with a marbled texture.
Air Jordan 8 Women’s Valentine’s Day (2018)
In 2018, Jordan Brand celebrated Valentine’s Day with a beautiful iteration of the Air Jordan 8 made for women. That year they opted to use all red suede on the upper and surrounded the Jumpman logo with a heart. With the text “Loves Me” or “Loves Me Not” printed under the iconic crossing straps of the shoe, the AJ8 Valentine’s Day is a cute ode to the day of romance.
Girls Don’t Cry x Nike Dunk Low (2019)
Nike and Japanese streetwear brand Girls Don’t Cry joined forces to make one of the most perfect renditions of the Nike Dunk Low of all time. Dressed in all red outside of the white midsole with a nubuck upper and the Girls Don’t Cry logo embroidered on the heel, this Dunk Low had everyone head over heels.
Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 992 “Anatomy of a Heart” (2020)
While technically released during the 2020 All-Star Weekend in Chicago, Joe Freshgoods’ masterclass of a collaboration with New Balance hits all of the hallmarks of a Valentine’s Day shoe. Aptly titled “The Anatomy of a Heart,” the silhouette deftly implements red, pink, and tan in various tones. Not only were the shoes an undeniable heater, but he also dropped them alongside a fire apparel collection titled ‘No Emotions are Emotions’ that featured Kawhi Leonard products.
Strangelove x Nike SB Dunk Low (2020)
The Strangelove x Nike SB Dunk Low is another hit in Sean Cliver’s array of holiday-themed Dunks. Predating the wintery Holiday Special dunks, the Strangelove edition crafted alongside Cliver’s team at Strangelove Skateboards radiates love. The Strangelove Dunks blend a variety of materials to great effect like velvet on the toe box, panels, and heel as well as suede overlays. The Strangelove branding makes it more macabre than your standard Valentine’s Day fare with the heart and skeleton blended logo appearing on the medial side of the shoe and the insoles featuring a skeletal depiction of Cupid.
Nike Air Max 90 Valentine’s Day 2021
Though 2021 was a rough year, love still persevered. To honor the embers of love, Nike took the playful route with their Air Max 90. In a move of cute subtlety, all of the i’s in the ‘AIR’ branding is marked with a heart understandably so because everyone was crushing on the AM90. Using a white, pink, and red palette, the silhouette captured the spirit of the holiday but the snap button on the tongue tag reveals an even more festive print. Unbutton them and you see “AM 90 4EVER.” and “ME + AM90 = TRUE LOVE” under the heart shape tags.
The Nike Dunk Low set to release this year is no slouch when it comes to Valentine’s Vibes. Instead of the usual red-dominated shoe, this year Nike opted to go with tones of pink including a pink translucent sole. With pink tumbled leather overlays and suede swoosh surrounded by pink lace, this might be one of the premier iterations of the Nike Dunk Low Valentine’s Day to drop.
The Air Jordan 1 Mid offering for 2022’s Valentine’s Day came with different pink tones covering the leather base. To set off the muted pink hues a bold red Swoosh added an extra bit of flair to the design. The silhouette also replaceed the customary Jumpman logo on the heel with three roses that match the colors utilized on the sneaker.
For 2023, the cupid is getting cozy with the Air Jordan 1 Zoom CMFT 2. This iteration of the sneaker includes white tumbled leather uppers and cut-out Swooshes with velvet inside as well as on the toe box and collar. “Anytime” and “Anywhere” embroidered on the heels is a nod to how far and wide love will travel.
The Nike Air More Uptempo is one of the most recognizable and beloved silhouettes ever. For 2023, the More Uptempo got a chocolatey Valentine’s Day remix with brown nubuck uppers and pink suede piping surrounding its iconic enlarged AIR branding and heel Swoosh giving it a chocolate dipped strawberry look perfect for a romantic night.