6 love-themed sneakers to gift for Valentine’s Day

Conventional Valentine’s Day gifts are often terribly fleeting. A gorgeous bouquet? Withered in a week. A box of chocolates? Gone in an hour. A pair of sneakers, though? We are talking about years. More, if worn very, very gently. Kindly. With love.

Fine. I will concede the point. Sneakers aren’t usually something you give on Valentine’s Day. Shoes aren’t a particularly romantic gift, unless they’re a glass slipper promising a life of royal nothingness – or you and your boo are swinging that way (no shame!). If the shoe fits! If the season calls!

And the season is shaping up, especially at Nike headquarters, where hero silhouettes like the AF1s and Dunk Lows are covered in love hearts, pastels and charms. Dior recalls Greek mythology with a dedication to Cupid, while Gucci goes to the letter with LOVE printed on the side of its iconic Ace silhouette. Don’t hit him with those kicks? There are always flowers. If you are boring.

All you need is some love (and some sneakers):

You are meant to fall in love with these Dior D-Connect sneakers. In fact, it is fatal. After all, this pair is dedicated to Eros, the Greek god of love (you might know him as Cupid; hence “Cupid”), a mischievous handy sniper with a bow and a magical arrow that strikes love at the heart of every target it hits. Aim very, very carefully at your sneaker-clad foot when stepping out in this pair.

D-Connect Cupidon sneakers by Dior

Nike Air Force 1 Low

All dressed up for Valentine’s Day, Nike’s Gen-Z mainstay – the AF1 Lows – ditches fresh white for baby pink and pops of bright red. Run your fingers through the pair’s Swoosh and try to make out the words ‘Nike’ and ‘Love’ etched across the upper – and once again the sneakers swap out their signature deubré for beaded charms that express the same loving sentiment.

Nike Air Force 1 Low

Gucci's Valentine's Day Ace Sneakers

The product photo only shows one side of the shoe, but you get the idea. Spelling the word of the season, Gucci’s Ace sneakers ditch the web stripe for love; a red graffiti fire truck print on GG Supreme canvas, to be exact. Just in case the fiery laces and matching heel tab weren’t V-Day themed enough.

Gucci's Valentine's Day Ace Sneakers

Air Jordan 1 Mid

There’s no sneaker that says Valentine’s Day quite like these Air Jordan 1 Mids, with its loving homage to all pastel colors along the toe and quarter panels, complete with a trio of stamped roses on the heel. . Stop and smell! Or maybe not. Not when worn, at least.

Air Jordan 1 Mid

Nike Dunk Low

It’s Valentine’s Day. If there is a day for frills and frills, this is it. These Nike Dunk Lows up the ante with a darker (but still pink!) colorway in magenta and brown. A pretty line of ruffled tulle draws the Swooshes of the pair and gives it its nickname: the “Lingerie Dunks”. Thanks Twitter.

Nike Dunk Low

Dolce & Gabbana's Valentine's Day Portofino sneakers

Nothing like a personalized gift. It says you care. You listened. You have seen this, and thought of them. Already adorned with love doodles and Valentine’s Day-appropriate iconography, Dolce & Gabbana’s Portofino sneakers keep you talking. Specifically at the two heel counters, where you can leave a personalized message.

A few ideas: Your initials. A word that makes you both laugh. Your seed Wordle shared. However, make sure it is relatively short; the system will not allow words that overflow on the top.

Dolce & Gabbana's Valentine's Day Portofino sneakers

Hero image courtesy of Nike | Image courtesy of Dior


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