When the first Air Max shoes dropped back in ‘87, Nike struck an unprecedented balance between style and technology, introducing the world to the first Air units and kicking off a lineup of truly iconic silhouettes. But Nike is always innovating, and to celebrate Air Max Week 2024, the label announced the Air Max Dn, ushering in the latest development in Air Max technology: the Dynamic Air unit system.

This new technology starts with two pressurized chambers with two tubes each (four in total), featuring a high-pressure heel and a low-pressure forefoot. The idea here is to allow air to shift from the heel to the forefoot, reacting to the pressure in each chamber to give you a smooth stride. On the upper, you get lightweight layers of textured mesh connected to a foam midsole that houses the Dynamic Air unit system, and a rubber outsole to finish it off. On top of this new air system, Nike has outdone themselves with the design here, creating a truly futuristic silhouette to debut the tech (drawing inspiration from its predecessor, the Air Max Tn runners). 

We’re entering a new era of Air Max, and while this is certainly exciting, a lot of work went into the testing to get these off the ground. Using a technology called Finite Element Analysis, Nike was able to test the shoe’s durability by simulating a year of wear in the lab, ensuring that the Dn air unit (and the shoes in general) are built to last and provide the responsiveness they were looking for. 

At the time of writing, there’s no official word on pricing for the Nike Air Max Dn, but they arrive in the “Black/Dark Smoke Grey/Anthracite/Light Crimson” colorway on March 26th, and you can sign up for notifications through Nike’s site.