Easter is a time of renewal and celebration. With that being said, there’s no better way to welcome in the spring season than with a fresh pair of sneakers, right? While many brands offer Easter-themed sneaker releases, Nike has released some of the most iconic pairs celebrating this holiday. Various silhouettes, from decade-old designs to newer models have been graced in pastel and Easter-inspired designs. As there isn’t a large selection of sneakers headed our way in 2023 that take on these themes, today, we're looking back at some of the best Nike Easter sneakers of all time.
For those who may be celebrating Passover this Holiday season, while there may be no Passover-themed sneaker releases, check out our recent Top Passed Over Sneakers of 2023 for a playful tribute to the holiday. In the meantime, check out our Twitter and download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest happenings in sneakers, streetwear, and more.
Nike Kobe 8 Easter (2013)
Released as a part of Nike Basketball’s “Easter Pack” in 2013, the Nike Kobe 8 “Easter” was the highlight pair of the bunch. Taking on an engineered mesh upper, we see a gradient pattern transition from light green to a mixture of gold, purple, and black, as you work back to the heel. These colors come inspired by painting Easter eggs with more pastel hues found on the Mamba logo atop the tongue and the mismatched Swoosh logos.
Nike Air Force 1 Low Easter (2005 & 2017)
In the glory days of patent leather-covered AF1s, Nike introduced the AF1 Low “Easter” in 2005. A retro of this pair in 1:1 fashion went down in 2017. Pastel hues cover the entire model with a mixture of muted greens, pinks, purples, and blues seen throughout. An overt nod to the holiday is on the tongue tag, with a graphic featuring a multi-color cracked Easter egg that reveals a mini Swoosh logo.
Nike Air Force 1 Low Easter (2006)
Another patent-leather AF1 Low themed around Easter. Nike returned to this theme a year after releasing their first “Easter” AF1. This time, different shades of pastel are much more vibrant compared to the previous pair. Again, Nike brought a direct nod to the holiday with an Easter egg graphic on the tongue tag.
Nike Kobe 11 Elite Low Easter (2016)
Unlike most Easter-themed sneakers, the Nike Kobe 11 Elite Low “Easter” forgoes the pastel shades and direct Easter egg graphics for a gradient orange to grey Flyknit upper. A 3M reflective snakeskin-like Swoosh on the sides is finished by a full smokey grey translucent outsole.
Nike Air Max 180 Easter (2006)
The Swoosh dressed its Air Max 180 silhouette in a series of pastel shades similar to the AF1 from 2006 we mentioned above. Purple shades cover most of the sneaker with hits of yellow, green, and white throughout. Like other pairs from the early 2000s, the tongue features a cracked Easter egg graphic that genuinely ties the sneaker to the holiday.
Nike KD 4 Easter (2012)
Taking on pastel hues but forgoing Easter graphics, the Nike KD 4 “Easter” came to us in a tonal mint colorway. Accenting hits of white can be found throughout. Its simple color scheme, alongside the silhouette’s killer performance on the basketball court, made this pair a fan favorite outside of its Easter connection.
Nike Dunk High Easter (2007)
Mimicking the holiday’s tradition of eating chocolate, the Swoosh dressed the Nike Dunk High in an “Easter” themed colorway in 2007. Featuring various brown hues mixed with pastel pinks, Stitching details in purple along the overlays make the panels stand out. A standout detail is found below on the midsole which hosts a polka dot pattern.
Nike Air Force 1 Low Easter (2018)
Calling back to the OG AF1 Low “Easter” from the mid-2000s, Nike crafted a patchwork rendition of the celebratory colorway in 2018. Like previous pairs, pastel shades cover the sneaker. However, each panel features different colors and materials. Atop the tongue, we also get a graphic depicting an Easter egg, a proper tie-in to the holiday.
Nike Dunk Low Easter W (2022)
As the Dunk trend continued into 2022, Nike created a women’s exclusive colorway ready for an Easter egg hunt with the Dunk Low “Easter.” Muted pinks on the overlays and a creamy white base paired well with the sail midsole and muted pink rubber outsole.
Nike KD 5 Easter (2013)
Like the first entry on this list, the Nike KD 5 “Easter” launched alongside various Nike Basketball silhouettes in 2013 to celebrate the springtime holiday. A vibrant pastel blue covers most of the upper. Hits of orange and green loosely tying in carrots, a favorite snack of bunnies, accents the pair. White hits on the midsole and heel, as well as a semi-translucent pastel green outsole, finish the look.
Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. Concerts, music, trying new restaurants, and catching the latest movies are some of the things I enjoy when not writing for Sole Retriever. Email: nick@soleretriever.com
