Valentine’s Day sneakers usually suck. They’re often loud, neon pink, covered in cheap plastic hearts, and impossible to wear on any day that isn't February 14th. But then Nike dropped the City of Love SB Dunk pack in early 2024, and honestly, it changed the conversation. This wasn't just a holiday cash grab. It was a moody, textured, and surprisingly deep tribute to the "Red Thread of Fate," a myth from East Asian folklore that says two people are connected by an invisible red string.
If you’ve been tracking the SB Dunk trajectory lately, you know things have been hit or miss. We’ve seen some wild colorways that feel a bit forced. The City of Love pack, consisting of the "Burgundy Crush" and the "Coconut Milk" iterations, feels different because it relies on craftsmanship rather than gimmicks. It’s sophisticated. It’s the kind of shoe you can wear to a wedding or a skate park and not look out of place in either.
The Design Philosophy Behind the City of Love SB Dunk
Most people think these are just "Valentine’s Day shoes," but that’s barely scratching the surface. Look closer at the details. On the tongue label of the City of Love SB Dunk, there is a tiny, embroidered red thread that weaves through the Nike SB logo. This same thread appears on the insoles, where two hands are tied together at the pinky.
It’s subtle.
Nike’s designers, led by the creative energy that usually flows through the SB division, opted for materials that feel premium under your thumb. The Burgundy Crush version is a masterpiece of monochromatic layering. You’ve got buttery suede, cracked leather, and satin-like synthetic panels. It looks expensive. It looks like a fine wine, which is probably why the colorway is officially dubbed "Burgundy Crush/Dark Team Red/Earth." The "Coconut Milk" pair offers a stark contrast, using off-white tones and light bone suedes to create something that feels like an old love letter.
The "Red Thread of Fate" is a legend that suggests we are all tethered to our soulmates by a cord that may stretch or tangle but will never break. Bringing this to a skate shoe is a bold move. It’s poetic. It’s also a smart way to market a shoe to the lifestyle crowd without alienating the core skaters who actually use the Zoom Air unit for its intended purpose.
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Why the Materials Actually Matter for Skaters
You might be wondering why anyone would skate in a shoe that looks this nice. Honestly, most won't. These will likely end up on a shelf or in a "fit pic" on Instagram. However, for those who do put them to the grip tape, the City of Love SB Dunk features the standard high-performance specs.
The cracked leather on the overlays isn't just for aesthetics. It provides a unique texture that handles abrasion differently than smooth leather. The cupsole construction is sturdy. The padded tongue—a staple of the SB Dunk Pro—hugs the foot, providing that locked-in feel necessary for flip tricks. But let's be real: the satin lining on the collar is a bit of a luxury. It’s soft. It feels great against the ankle, though it might get "pilly" faster than standard mesh if you’re really putting in hours at the park.
Market Performance and the Resale Trap
When these first leaked, the hype was manageable. Then people saw the "Burgundy Crush" pair in person. The depth of that red is hard to capture in stock photos. Naturally, the resale market reacted.
For a long time, SB Dunks were the kings of the secondary market, with prices soaring into the thousands. Lately, the market has cooled significantly. The City of Love SB Dunk benefitted from this cooling period. Instead of being an "unobtainable" $800 shoe, it hovered around the $150 to $200 range shortly after release. This made it accessible. It became a "people’s champ" shoe.
If you’re looking at these as an investment, don’t expect a massive spike. Nike produced enough of these to satisfy the demand, which is actually a good thing for the culture. It means the people who wanted them for the story and the style actually got to wear them.
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Comparisons to Previous Valentine's Drops
Think back to the "StrangeLove" SB Dunk Low from 2020. That shoe featured crushed velvet and bright red suede. It was loud. It was iconic. It currently costs a small fortune. The City of Love SB Dunk is the mature sibling of the StrangeLove. While the StrangeLove was a teenage crush—vibrant and chaotic—the City of Love is a long-term relationship. It’s refined and consistent.
You also have to consider the "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" Dunk High from years ago, which used cracked leather to represent blood. It was dark. The City of Love pack moves away from the macabre and leans into the romantic without being "corny."
What Most People Get Wrong About the Sizing
Sizing on SB Dunks is always a point of contention. Because of the extra padding in the tongue and the Zoom Air pod in the heel, they fit tighter than a standard Nike Dunk.
If you have wide feet, you absolutely must go up half a size. If you don't, your pinky toe will be screaming within twenty minutes. This is especially true for the City of Love SB Dunk because the materials on the Burgundy pair are a bit stiffer than the Coconut Milk version. Suede stretches, but that cracked leather has very little "give."
I’ve seen people complain that the shoe feels "clunky." That’s just the SB DNA. It’s a tank of a shoe. It’s meant to protect your feet from a wooden board flying at your shins at 20 miles per hour. If you want something slim, go buy a Blazer or a standard Dunk Low. But if you want the comfort of that fat tongue, stick with the SB and just size accordingly.
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Real-World Versatility
The "Coconut Milk" pair is the sleeper hit here. At first glance, it’s just another "beige" shoe. But the way the light hits the different textures of white and cream makes it incredibly easy to style. You can wear it with baggy fatigues, black denim, or even shorts in the summer.
The Burgundy Crush is harder to pull off. It’s a statement. If you wear it with other red tones, you risk looking like a backup dancer. The move here is to let the shoes be the only pop of color. Wear them with dark navy, charcoal grey, or black. Let the "Red Thread" do the talking.
Expert Care Tips for the City of Love SB Dunk
Since these shoes use a mix of materials, you can't just throw them in the washing machine. Please, don't do that.
- Suede Protection: Use a high-quality water and stain repellent before you wear them out. Suede is a magnet for dirt.
- The Cracked Leather: Avoid using heavy oils or conditioners on the cracked leather sections. It might fill in the "cracks" and ruin the visual texture. Just wipe them with a damp cloth.
- The Satin Insole: If you actually skate these, the insoles will get gross. Take them out and hand wash them with a bit of dish soap.
- Lace Swaps: The pack usually comes with extra laces. The Burgundy pair looks incredible with the tonal laces, but swapping in a cream lace to match the midsole can really make the "City of Love" theme pop.
Actionable Steps for Potential Buyers
If you are looking to add the City of Love SB Dunk to your collection, don't just jump on the first pair you see on a resale site. Prices fluctuate based on the time of year. Ironically, these often get cheaper after February.
- Check Local Skate Shops: Many shops still have random sizes sitting in the back or on the "last pair" rack. Supporting your local shop is always better than feeding the bots on the SNKRS app.
- Verify the Texture: If buying from a secondary market, look closely at the cracked leather. On fakes, the "cracking" often looks printed on rather than being a physical texture of the material.
- Inspect the Tongue Label: The "red thread" embroidery should be clean. If it looks like a mess of loose strings, it’s a red flag.
- Check the Insole Graphic: The hands-and-thread graphic is a key detail. Ensure the print is sharp and the colors are muted, not neon.
The City of Love SB Dunk is a reminder that Nike can still tell a compelling story without needing a high-profile collaborator like Travis Scott or Virgil Abloh. Sometimes, a good myth and a well-chosen palette are enough to create a classic. Whether you're a romantic or just someone who appreciates a well-constructed sneaker, this pack is one of the better moments in recent SB history. It’s a shoe that looks better the more you wear it, which is exactly what a good sneaker should be.