We love sneakers, but some people like love-themed sneakers! Valentine’s Day has served as inspiration for all kinds of shoes, and we wanted to try our hand at our own. We think these kinds of sneakers are full of potential but are often too gimmicky to be worn all year round. So, we made sure our concept clearly reflected the theme, but also looked great as a standalone shoe.
Following a similar color palette as other Valentine’s Day-themed sneakers, our Air Max 90 is dressed in a red nubuck and mesh base. A darker red is then used on the TPU accents and the mudguard on each side, and purple is applied sparingly around the bottom of the eyelets. The Nike Swoosh and tongue tag are covered in white, and the upper is finished with a light pink on the lining to accentuate the theme. We used a dark red for the midsole, and white for the outsole and the TPU around the Air bubble.
Altogether, the sneakers use of darker colors with white highlights makes the shoe really stand out. Its use of a strong red boldly presents its Valentine’s Day theme, whilst the touch of pink adds to the romantic feel of the sneaker. However, the dark red and pink are also very similar to the colors used on the Air Max 90 Bacon, one of the most popular Air Max’s to date. So, whether our shoe reminds you of love, or your love of bacon, we think its flair and style is undeniable!
As much as Valentine’s Day may be a heavily commercialized holiday that holds little significance other than as an excuse to do something nice with your partner, that is precisely why Nike are such a big fan of it. Every year they release a few Valentines’ Day-themed sneakers knowing that couples around the world will gift them to their sneaker obsessed partner.
Nike actually released a Valentine’s Day Air Max 90 this year, and unsurprisingly it was very popular. Compared to our concept, however, it was predominantly white and donned much lighter red and pink highlights. Our concept, therefore, is like an alternate version, as we use the same colors, but use darker shades and cover the body of the shoe in red. The reason for this is to create a much bolder silhouette, that is more easily identifiable as a Valentine’s Day-themed shoe.
