The 10 Best Christmas Sneakers of All Time

There's no denying that Christmas is one of the most exciting times of the year. And regardless of how you plan to spend the festive season—a movie marathon on Christmas Day or a shopping spree on boxing day—the festive spirit in you will always be present during the gift-giving season. On that note, one of the things we sneakerheads look forward to the most is the range of holiday-themed trainers from major footwear labels - a surefire way to put an extra spring in our step through the colder months.

Throughout the years, brands such as Nike, adidas, Vans, and New Balance have never failed to deliver us the most eye-catching Christmas trainers. From candy cane-inspired Nike shoes to the mischievous Kevin McCallister's adidas Forum trainers in Home Alone, let's take a closer look at the best Christmas sneakers of all time!

The Nike Dunk is a silhouette that has been present since 1985, and although originally a basketball sneaker, it's now one of the most popular lifestyle shoes going. In 2015, the model appeared under Nike's SB division as the Nike SB Dunk Low "Candy Cane" colourway. Red and white stripes reminiscent of candy canes adorned the panels from heel to toe, leaving the Swooshes and shoelaces in white alone and the interior lining in green to complete these Christmas sneakers.

US-based retailer Concepts and Nike have been partners for many years now, with the duo offering a range of limited-edition sneakers from time to time, like the Turkey-inspired Dunks from 2020. Back in 2017, the Concepts x Nike SB Dunk High "Ugly Christmas Sweater" exhibited a plethora of jolly graphics that you would see on traditional knitted Christmas jumpers. As a matter of fact, this pair is CNCPTS and Nike's third instalment to their Christmas trainers collection, following the first two-shoe pack in 2013.

As you've probably realised by now, Nike never fails to present great seasonal-themed sneakers. Arriving as part of the brand's Christmas Pack in 2015, the sportswear giant took Tinker Hatfield's Air Max 90 and wrapped it with red and white candy cane Swoosh logos and silk ribbon laces under the name Nike Air Max 90 "Gift Wrapped". These Nike Christmas trainers also came with gold Nike Air Max branding plates on the rear segments, completing the offering with a festive touch.

The LeBron 11 is the eleventh signature court shoe from the legendary basketball player LeBron James. In its inauguration year, the silhouette dropped in nine colourways, with the Nike LeBron 11 "Christmas" being one of the pairs to adorn an eye-catching theme. The construction brought in a range of technology such as Nike Hyperposite, Hyperfuse, and Flywire, making them the ultimate basketball kicks. These Lebron Christmas sneakers sported "Green Glow" and "Light Crimson" colours with snowflake graphics. Additionally, a pair of Kobe 8 System and Kevin Durant's KD 6 also dropped, with all three making up the Nike Basketball 2013 "Christmas" pack.

True Kobe fans would never forget the Nike Kobe 6 "Grinch". The low-top basketball kicks were introduced by Kobe Bryant himself on the court in 2010 when he went up against Miami Heat's "Big Three". The low-top design sported a distinct "Lime Green" hue throughout with "Varsity Red" and "Black" accents. The pair received a retro-release ten years later, dubbed the Nike Kobe 6 Protro "Grinch", and came with more modern technological features than the OG.

In 2013, Reebok delivered three court silhouettes from legendary basketball players Shawn Kemp, Shaquille O'Neal, and Allen Iverson in holiday themes. The Reebok Question Mid, Shaq Attaq, and Kamikaze II, were all delivered under the Reebok "Ghost of Christmas" pack inspired by Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" tale from 1843, a story of Ebenezer Scrooge and three ghosts.

In 2020, renowned American designer Ronnie Fieg delivered the KITH x New Balance 992 "Kithmas" pack under his lifestyle and fashion imprint KITH. The Christmas ensemble featured three colourways: "Burgundy", "Teal", and "Red" - all of which maintained the traditional setup of the New Balance 992 like the profile "N" logos and the dual ABZORB and ENCAP midsole unit.

During any Christmas holiday, there is nothing better than a hot cup of chocolate while you watch a Christmas movie. There are many festive film-themed sneakers, but one of our favourites is the adidas Forum "Home Alone" that pays homage to Macaulay Culkin and his iconic role as Kevin McCallister in the cult-classic Home Alone series. These Christmas sneakers pull inspiration from the best scenes in the movie and showcase them through related motifs, like the burn marks from Joe Pesci's famous fire incident, booby traps, the McCallister's house doormat, and much more. The 3-Stripes even followed up the collaboration in 2022 with a pair dedicated to the Pigeon Lady from the sequel.

There's no denying that Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of the greatest festive movies of all time. The footwear ensemble from Vans brings the 1993 stop-motion animated movie to life with signature silhouettes from the California-based skate imprint portraying familiar scenes and motifs as graphic prints pulled directly from the fan-favourite film. The Vans Sk8-Hi emerged in two colourways, the Slip-On in two colours, the Era Stacked, Old Skooll, and Comfy Cush in different styles, and two pairs of sliders.

Finally, we're rounding it out with another Grinch-themed sneaker, this time courtesy of adidas. Much like the Home Alone pairs, this Christmas sneaker opted to use the Forum Low for the base, though this time it was dressed in shaggy green suede to mimic the character, while lace jewels and custom hang tags finished the look.

Which pair could you see yourself rocking on Christmas Day? Let us know, and make sure you stay locked in right here at The Sole Supplier if you don't want to miss out on the latest sneaker drops.