As soon as the year hits February, there are two days to look forward to the UK. Valentine’s Day and Pancake Day. Unfortunately, we rarely see any sneakers release in honour of Pancake Day. However, every sneaker company tries its best to capitalise on the Feast of Saint Valentine celebration.
The colour combinations on Valentine’s Day silhouettes make these some of the best shoes we see release all year. We take a look at some of our favourite’s to ever release over the years. I’ll also look at some of the sneakers due to drop in time for the 14th February this year.
NIKE AIR FORCE 1 VALENTINES DAY (2006)
The only place to start this list is one of the first sneakers I remember specifically dropping for Valentine’s Day, the 2006 Air Force 1. The sneakers upper was crafted from patent leather and combined the Valentines colour palette expertly. Shiny red leather covered the front of the shoe, whilst the heel and swoosh featured in white. The contrasting colours instantly remind you of Valentines. Nike swapped out the Nike Air branding you would typically find on the heel tab for a love heart. They also did this with the Nike branding you would find on the shoe’s tongue.
Underfoot, an OG, chunky Air Force 1 sole unit featured with a red and white colour scheme. This sole finished off the sneaker’s romantic design and is one of my favourite Air Force 1s to date.
Shop Air Force 1 by clicking here.
NIKE DUNK SB LOW VALENTINES DAY (2014)
With the current boom in popularity surrounding the Dunk, it is only fair to go back to a time where the silhouette was slightly less popular despite incredible colourways like this releasing. The 2014 V-Day Dunk had everything you wanted from a Valentines silhouette. Patterned red suede overlayed cracked white leather, making the sneaker instantly recognisable. Bright red accents throughout contrasted the dark red panelling, with a red and white Dunk sole finishing off this look.
This Dunk is a perfect example of how much the shoe’s popularity has grown over the last few years. In 2018 you were able to pick up a pair of these Valentine’s Day Dunks for around £60. Fast-forward three years and the sneaker has sold for £450+. An insane increase in value since the Dunk boom began.
NIKE DUNK SB LOW VALENTINES DAY (2015)
We only had to wait another year for Nike to drop another Valentines colourway of the Dunk, and the outcome may be one of the best Dunk colourways of all time. The colours used for the 2015 version were slightly less in your face, a more understated approach to a Valentine’s Day sneaker.
Grey suede underlays complimented the gym red panelling flawlessly, whilst the iconic Nike Swoosh featured across both medial and lateral sides of the sneaker in white. The sole also featured a slightly different colour combo than we had become used to, with a white midsole contrasted by a gum outsole.
Using grey underlays became a favourite for Nike with the Dunk after this release. Nike would use the design again for the ‘Orange Box’ Dunk, which is now a fan favourite amongst SB collectors.
Shop Nike Dunks by clicking here.
NIKE AIR MAX 95 VALENTINES DAY (2004)
In 2004 Nike took over its iconic Air Max 95 silhouette creating one of the most unique 95 designs we have ever seen. A women’s exclusive sneaker, the uppers were crafted entirely from buttery suede and was covered entirely in red. White accents on the sole unit and tongue gave off the classic Valentine vibe, whilst the tongue detailing was switched up and featured a heart instead.
An incredibly exclusive sneaker, this shoe is almost impossible to find a price for today. Collectors that have the AM95 Valentines Day would not be looking to see anytime soon I imagine.
Are you looking for Air Max 95s? Click here to see our range.
AIR JORDAN 5 RETRO VALENTINES DAY (2013)
Jordan Brand has tried ts hand at a few Valentines Day colourways over the years, with the Air Jordan 4 from 2019 catching many collectors eye. However, the best of all for us is the Air Jordan 5 Retro that released back in 2013.
Again, releasing as a women’s exclusive, the AJ5 featured a metallic red upper and was contrasted perfectly by the pink accents throughout the shoe’s design. The iconic mesh panel comes in pink as do the laces. Underfoot, a pink midsole was emphasised by the shark tooth design in red. We even saw the inclusion of a basketball reshaped into a love heart on the shoe’s heel. Pink Jumpman branding featured on the heel and tongue of the sneaker, finishing off this loved-up creation.
Shop Air Jordan 5’s by clicking here.
This year’s releases
Nike is going above and beyond this year, guaranteeing all of our loved ones are laced for Valentines Day. The Air Force 1 seems to be the go-to silhouette for a romantic silhouette, but the Air Max 90 is every bit as good, too.
Take a look below at the upcoming releases, and click the product name to find your size on Laced.
NIKE AIR FORCE 1 VALENTINE’S DAY
As we have seen from years of Valentines Day releases, Nike love to use the iconic Air Force 1 silhouette to represent the loving holiday. This time around Nike simply update the triple white colourway with some premium upgrades. We see a white chocolate swoosh and sole unit replace the usual white colour hue. You can also find a red heart on the heel of the sneaker with a mini swoosh in the middle of it, showing just how much we all love Nike.
The AF1 Valentine’s Day is available now at Laced, Click here to find your size.
AIR FORCE 1 LOW 07 QS VALENTINE’S DAY LOVE LETTER
If you are looking for an Air Force 1 Valentine’s Day sneaker that is slightly more eye-catching than the clean white and cream version, then this Love Letter silhouette is the one for you. The strawberry and cream colour palette used will ensure that everybody sees you coming.
White underlays come contrasted by tulip pink panelling, whilst the iconic swoosh branding features in valentines red. The panels are composed of buttery suede giving the shoe an exceptionally luxurious feel. Nike Air branding on the heel sees the dot of the I swapped out for a love heart, whilst the tongue branding features a hidden message. Once opened, you will find a love heart with the message ‘true love since ’82’, a nod to when the AF1 was first released. A white and pink sole unit completes this exquisite sneaker.
Are the Love Letter Air Force 1s the shoe for you? Click here to find your size.
NIKE AIR MAX 90 VALENTINES DAY 2021 WOMENS
Releasing alongside the Love Letter Air Force 1 is this unbelievable Air Max 90. Exclusive for women, this shoe is a must-cop. We see the same strawberries and cream colour combo used for the Air Force 1, with the AM90 panelling dripping in the legendary colour hues. The swoosh and Nike branding pop in valentines red, with the tongue tab hiding a secret message much like the Air Force 1. You will find the note ‘Me+AM90 = True Love’ once you unbutton said tongue tab.
Underfoot, Tinker Hatfields’ most outstanding design, the visible air bubble features, wrapped inside a strawberry and cream sole unit.
Happy Valentines Day
So, there you have it, a breakdown of our favourite previous and upcoming releases honouring Valentines Day. Hopefully, this article has given you all a good idea of what your sneakerhead better half will want this year. If you are still single, remember that you can always grab yourself a pair of these sneakers to celebrate, too. They are stunning silhouettes intended for all of us to enjoy! Happy Valentines Day.
