Aaron Hope 
We live in a world where annual sneaker traditions are taken for granted. It started as so many important footwear trends have with the Air Jordan Legacy. Air Jordan NBA All-Star colorways, home/away and regular season/playoffs installments foreshadowed product now issued with each year. But it was the Nike Air Force 1s released in tribute to Chinese New Year that opened the doors to annual sneaker releases in conjunction with recurring holidays.
Nike started their YOTx efforts in 2002, and the Air Force 1 family has been synonymous with the Lunar New Year ever since. The Air Force 1 Low in particular has been favored for the Chinese Zodiac colorways, but there has been more variety with each successive animal. Get ready to see some of the best of those released over the past thirteen years as we take a look back at Nike’s best Chinese New Year kicks.
Nike Air Force 1 Low “Year of the Horse” (2002)
The first ‘Year of the Horse’ Air Force 1s foreshadowed the tradition to come, as well as the potential for multiple colorways for a single shoe based on one theme.
Nike Air Force 1 Low “Year of the Goat” (2003)
The ‘YOTG’ Air Force 1 Low was both timeless and ahead of its time. The white leather and gum sole combination will forever reign supreme, and the orange alternate laces would fit right in with today’s trends if you could actually find a pair.
Nike Air Force 1 Low “Year of the Monkey” (2004)
2004’s YOTM AF1s kept it clean with a white leather makeup adding tonal brown accents and the traditional Chinese script.
Nike Air Force 1 Low “Year of the Rooster” (2005)
The ‘Year of the Rooster’ Air Force 1 stuck with that unbeatable white/gum combination. It’s the fourth year in a row that we’d seen something along these lines and now it was time to add a bit of variety into the mix.
Nike Air Force 1 Low “Year of the Dog” (2006)
With a colorway fitting the overall exuberance of mid-2000s street fashion, the ‘Year of the Dog’ AF1 Lows mixed multiple colors and materials including the then-novel pony hair. A patterned toebox was only a hint at what was to come in the decade to follow.
Nike Dunk High “Year of the Pig” (2007)
After switching up colors and materials the previous year, Nike introduced the first non-AF1 silhouette into the CNY mix in 2007. The tonal pink ‘Year of the Pig’ Dunks are exceedingly rare these days but CNCPTS used a similar style on their popular ‘When Pigs Fly’ SBs a few years later. It’s further proof that the best of these designs have more staying power than greeting cards, ornaments or most other holiday decor.
Nike Wildwood 90 Free Trail “Year of the Rat” (2008)
2008’s YOTR drop followed the first non-AF1 release with the first CNY hybrid sneaker. The Wildwood 90 Free Trail was made in white and grey pony hair-enhanced colorways to commemorate the occasion.
Nike Air Max 1 “Year of the Ox” (2009)
Following up on 08’s model with multiple inputs, the 2009 pair selected was Nike’s first ever visible Air runner. They also brought along Beaverton’s first basketball shoe with a Blazer in a similar style.
Nike Cortez “Year of the Tiger” (2010)
The second decade of the 21st century gave us the very first Nike shoe with tiger stripes and pony hair. There were also a trio of fuzzy Dunks for kids, but the most important YOTT development was that brilliant ‘five finger death grip’ special package for the Cortezes. NSW set a new standard with that one that spurred on further greatness for both future CNY releases and a host of other unique enclosures we’ve seen since.
Nike Air Force 1 Low “Year of the Rabbit” (2011)
Speaking of superior packaging punctuating a dope design, those YOTR Forces introduced in a White Rabbit Creamy Candy-like molded package were among the most delicious drops of the year.
Nike Zoom KD IV “Year of the Dragon” (2012)
The world didn’t end in 2012, it only got better with the introduction of Nike Basketball CNY colorways. The YOTD Zoom KD 4 was one highlight of what is arguably Kevin Durant’s most popular signature shoe to date.
Nike Kobe 8 EXT “Year of the Snake” (2013)
The Year of the Snake is the one of twelve Chinese zodiac signs that translates most naturally to footwear. Kobe Bryant’s signature line having embodied his ‘Black Mamba’ persona in recent years put the Kobe 8 in a unique position to capitalize on the opportunity. If you count all the snake-themed Kobe 8s, that shoe’s YOTS output would approach triple-digits, but the two EXT pairs and a Port Wine Engineered Mesh edition got the official honor.
