words // Luis Sanchez
Valentine's Day is one of those holidays which provides brands an interesting opportunity to do things they've never done before with their footwear.
We've seen several brands such as New Balance and Vans introduce Valentine's Day-inspired footwear over the years, but the Swoosh was the first to do it with a variety of memorable Air Force 1, Dunk Low and Air Max styles in red-based colorways and heart shaped logos.
With plenty of Valentine's-inspired kicks out there, it was tougher than initially expected to rank the top 10. Check out Sole Collector's Top 10 Valentine's Day kicks in the list below.
10. Reebok Question - Valentine's Day
Released this year, this Iverson classic by Reebok celebrates the Valentine's Day holiday with a full red build, and hits of pink and white throughout. Reebok's Valentine's Dsy theme is finished off with a glittery metallic toe cap and a translucent pink outsole below.
9. SB Dunk Low Pro - Valentine's Day
For the first time, 2014 saw Nike Skateboarding release a Valentine's Day-inspired shoe. Nike Skateboarding executed their debut V-Day shoe with a classic white/red SB Dunk Low that's reminiscent of an original Dunk colorway. Premium leather and suede displays the classic White/Red color combo by Nike SB.
8. Air Jordan 5 Retro - Valentine's Day
The Jordan Brand has also released several Valentine's Day kicks over the years, but none have been better than last year's Air Jordan 5 Retro for the ladies. The Jordan Brand celebrated the love-filled holiday last year with a metallic red finish taking over the AJ V, along with pink laces and heart-shaped basketball logos stitched into the heel of each shoe.
7. Nike Dunk Low Valentine's Day 2005
The mid 2000's saw Nike release what many would say is their best Valentine's Day themed footwear. One of many styles is this 2005 Dunk Low for the ladies, which features a full patent leather build in white and red with a unique Valentine's Day-inspired pattern filling the toebox and collar.
6. Nike Air Force 1 Low - Valentine's Day 2004
Before the aforementioned Dunk Low, Nike released this Air Force 1 Low back in 2004. Celebrating the Valentine's Day holiday in grand fashion, Nike went with a full white patent leather build on these and topped them with their classic heart logos on both the tongue and heel once again.
5. Nike Dunk Low Valentine's Day 2004
A Dunk Low was also released by Nike as part of their 2004 Valentine's Day Collection. Nike went with a look opposite of the AF1 for the Dunk Low, hitting them with a red-dominated color scheme in patent leather. Heart shaped logos were once again utilized by the Swoosh, placing them on the tongue and forefoot of each shoe.
4. Nike Air Max 95 - Valentine's Day 2004
Easily one of the most unique Valentine's Day shoes done up by Nike is this rare Air Max 95 for the ladies. Released in 2004, the Valentine's Day Air Max 95 features a full suede build in red, white accents, and classic Air Max branded shaped like a heart on the tongue of each shoe.
3. New Balance 996 - Valentine's Day
Last year's release of the 996 for Valentine's Day by New Balance is easily one of the most impressive V-Day themed shoes we've seen in quite sometime. New Balance celebrated the holiday with a combination of extremely premium materials covered in a combination of red, white and aqua. Heart shaped lace locks were also included, along with sockliners covered in hearts.
2. Curtis Kulig x Vans - Love Me Collection
Last year saw Vans and Curtis Kulig release what's turned out to be one of the best Valentine's Day footwear collections ever. Kulig's trademark 'Love Me' phrase was draped over the classic Authentic and Slip-On models for the men, while the ladies were treated to a unique version of the Sk8-Hi slim.
1. Nike Air Force 1 Low - Valentine's Day 2003
Easily the best Valentine's Day shoe ever, is coincidentally enough, Nike's first ever shoe to celebrate the love-filled holiday. Nike first-ever Valentine's Day release arrived in the form of this red-based Air Force 1 Low for the ladies, which featured a combination of premium materials bringing them to life. High quality nubuck covered in red brings this classic Air Force 1 to life, working with Nike's heart shaped logos over the tongue and heel, making for a classic holiday-inspired look that'll likely never be topped.
