A new era is unfolding at Nike. It’s no secret that Nike’s Air Max is one of the most recognisable footwear designs to date. Now, Nike is changing things up. Rather than just making a few adjustments, the Nike team envisioned something better: developing and introducing an entirely new paradigm for the look and feel of a groundbreaking footwear silhouette. Thus, the Nike Air Max Dn was born.
Utilizing over three decades of Air Max science and advanced manufacturing methods, Nike’s innovation teams created an unparalleled feel in the Dn. Digital tools like Finite Element Analysis facilitated rapid and precise testing of the air unit before creating real-life prototypes for lab testing. The faster acquisition of such insights allowed the teams to gather athlete feedback sooner, enabling an iterative process: try, test, refine, repeat. The Nike Air Max Dn signifies a new era in the ongoing revolution of footwear cushioning initiated by Nike over three decades ago. It introduces a redesigned platform for self-expression and redefines the experience of walking on Air.
Making its debut in the Nike Air Max Dn, Dynamic Air is featured in a new dual-chamber, four-tubed Nike Air unit designed to provide exceptional comfort, a smooth stride, and maximum bounce. The dual-pressure air unit consists of two pressurized chambers, each equipped with two tubes. These chambers are precisely calibrated, with higher pressure in the back two tubes (15 psi) and lower pressure in the front two tubes (5 psi). As you move, air seamlessly circulates between the tubes in each chamber, dynamically responding to your motion and delivering a smooth sensation with every step that goes beyond mere comfort—it becomes interactive.
Describing the concept as “dynamic motion,” Reggie Hunter, Product Director for Nike Lifestyle Footwear, explains, “The independent setup of the chambers means that the air unit can respond to the load of your body with each step. The feeling of heel-to-toe movement is seamless because the air unit is interacting in real time with your foot and moves with you. The Nike Air Max Dn was the first time we were able to unlock that feeling.”
Kathy Gomez, Nike VP, NXT Footwear, notes, “Counterintuitively, these exacting methods of testing create more opportunities for us to be surprised. For example, in the Dn, you’d think the softest tube in terms of psi should go in the heel for crash landing and better transition. But actually, we found that transition was best when the firmest tube was under the heel and the softest was under the midfoot.”
The outcome is a bold new Air Max model that disrupts and reimagines the future of Nike Air with each step. “Ultimately, being disruptive enables you to create a new conversation,” says Hunter. “Being disruptive also opens the door for curiosity. If a generation of people who love Air Max are shocked by the Dn, we know we’re doing something right. But the reason we made Dn is less about appealing to a specific demographic and more about designing a shoe that people want to pick up, interact with, learn about it and wear. And wear. And wear.”
The Nike Air Max Dn All Night colorway, along with additional colorways, is set to release on March 26 in both adult and youth sizes as part of Air Max Week 2024. Learn more about the Nike Air Max Dn shoe at nike.com.
