Valentine’s Day is coming up just around the corner, and throughout this time of year, the sneaker industry’s biggest names all come together to drop some of the best V Day-inspired trainers that the world has ever seen. From charming New Balance collaborations to endearing Nike pairs, you’ll definitely fall in love with a few of these. In fact, you might even call some of them your solemate!
To make it easier to keep track of ’em all, Captain Creps has spotlighted some of the most romantic runners ever made. Be sure to hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and let us know which ones you have in your collection, as well as which ones you dream of owning one day!
The StrangeLove Skateboards x Nike SB Dunk Low “Valentine’s Day” came about during the height of SB Dunk hype. Unlike conventional colourways, this special release dropped the all-leather construction in favour of a full velvet outfit that was unlike anything else at the time. Dainty yet sultry, while this meant that it certainly wasn’t as wearable, especially on the half pipe, each crease, mark, and scuff added a ton of personality. Sean Cliver – who owns StrangeLove – also stitched a heart-skull graphic on each pair, with additional artwork across the insole and outsole.
Without question, the Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 992 “Anatomy of the Heart” was, and still is, one of the best 992 collaborations of all-time. Part of the “No Emotion is Emotion” line, it’s crafted from a premium combination of engineered mesh and pigskin suede and is painted in various shades of red and pink. Interestingly, the Chicago creative also added luxe copper accents across the tongue and heel and a blacked out ABZORB midsole for further contrast. If this doesn’t get your heart racing, we don’t know what will.
The Nike Air Force 1 Low “Love Letter” is still considered to be one of the best Valentine’s Day-inspired sneakers out there. Packed full of cute details, this AF1 works on top of a crisp white base and is overlaid by pink suede throughout. The toebox perforations have been replaced with a series of little hearts, and all of this sits on top of a clean Air midsole. If that doesn’t sound sweet enough already, the tongues actually feature hidden messages, just like the love letters that you might send to that special someone in your life.
While we’re hoping that you’re not emotionally unavailable on February 14th, the Emotionally Unavailable x Nike Air Force 1 High “Team Red” is still one of the hottest Valentine’s trainers in history. Made in collaboration with KB Lee and Edison Chen, this Air Force 1 is stuffed with hearty details throughout. For one, it comes with a custom heart-shaped shroud that covers the lacing system. The Swoosh is also decorated with a purple fleece texture that’s soft and supple to the touch. One of the rarest sneakers on this list, if you ever come across a pair make sure you grab it before someone else does.
What’s there not to love about the New Balance 550 “Valentine’s Day”? Taking on the Boston-based brand’s ever-popular basketball shoe, it’s crafted from smooth white leather and is covered from heel to toe in pastel pink suede overlays. Fiery red accents set the tongue and midsole alight, and the legendary “N” logo is finely inlaid across the sides. Of course, you can’t talk about this ’80s icon without mentioning the rosy hearts that delicately adorn the topmost eyelets and the back of each shoe. Absolutely adorable.
Another extremely rare release, the Verdy x Nike SB Dunk Low “Girls Don’t Cry” isn’t a shoe that you’d just find anywhere. Made in collaboration with Tokyo-based artist Verdy, these Dunk Lows were made exclusively for Japan. Crafted from red leather and suede that burns bright, it’s heavily contrasted by a crisp white Zoom Air midsole underfoot. Each pair comes with a custom heart-shaped Nike SB keychain, and they’re finely stitched with “Girls Don’t Cry” around the heel reminding you to keep your head held up high. You’ll also find a pair of beautiful butterflies on the tongue as well.
Last year, Jordan Brand went all-out for the season of love with the Air Jordan 1 High Zoom CMFT 2 “Valentine’s Day.” Taking on Michael Jordan’s comfort-focused flagship, this is outfitted in light grey tumbled leather, and just like the aforementioned StrangeLove Dunks, it’s equipped with luscious red velvet details throughout. Plump heart graphics make their way to the insoles, and around the back of each shoe you’ll find “Anytime” and “Anywhere” finely embroidered in white. We’re not entirely sure what this alludes to, but it sounds pretty cheeky to us.
Of course, you can’t talk about V Day trainers without bringing up the Nike Dunk Low “Valentine’s Day.” One of the most unique pairs on this list, the Swoosh is quite literally dressed to impress. In fact, it’s surrounded by a frilly fabric that, unsurprisingly, reminds us of lingerie, leading many sneakerheads to affectionately nickname these the Lingerie Dunks. Elsewhere, the rest of the upper is crafted from red and pink canvas and leather, and all of this sits on top of a midsole that’s engineered to shatter both backboards and headboards.
The Three Stripes is famous for its shoes that are inspired by Cupid’s favourite day, and the adidas Stan Smith “Valentine’s Day” is one of the best ones out there. Taking on the classic tennis shoe, while it might look pretty simple from the outset, this adidas colourway has a lot of heart – literally. A special heart-shaped cutout features across the sidewalls, and all of this is tied together with a pair of clean flat laces, rounding off the truly minimalistic aesthetic. As the old saying goes, sometimes less is more.
And last but not least, we have the Air Jordan 8 Retro “Valentine’s Day.” Hands down one of the most memorable colourways to grace His Airness’ eighth Jordan Brand silhouette, this red hot number is crafted from supple suede, and features metallic accents for a rugged look and feel. Elsewhere, the usual Jumpman logos on the tongue have been replaced with a pair of fuzzy hearts, while the mudguards across the sides resemble a pair of lips. Made exclusively for the ladies, that didn’t stop some guys from trying to squeeze into a pair.
