Venezia Runs Fast on Nike Air Max DN8
Nike's recent Venice activation, held from March 27th to 29th, 2025, celebrated the launch of the Air Max DN8, connecting the city's rich cultural heritage with the innovative spirit of the new sneaker. With the involvement of various local communities, creators from across the country and media, each day offered unique experiences that highlighted the fusion of sport, art, and community. This series of orchestrated events represented not only the launch of a new product, but rather an attempt to invent the panorama of the future, a welcoming habitat where youth culture, rebellious energy and tradition can meet and open up new possibilities for the city and the creative ecosystem revolving around it.
WORKSHOP AT IUAV
The event series commenced on March 27th with an immersive workshop at the Università Iuav di Venezia, an institution renowned for its focus on design and architecture. This session explored the intersection of urban landscapes and movement, drawing parallels between the fluidity of Venice's waterways and the dynamic design of the Air Max DN8. Eight selected students engaged in discussions and activities that emphasized innovation in design, mirroring the sneaker's emphasis on pushing boundaries and redefining norms. Not just an audience but rather an expression of the horizontal approach to communities and design that Nike is championing, these participants had the chance to envision their own project from ideation to research and development.
LOCAL SANDOLISTI
On March 28th, the Air Max DN8 was officially introduced to the Venetian community through one of its living icons. In a symbolic gesture, local sandolisti were equipped with the Air Max DN8, highlighting the synergy between the city's traditional modes of transport and Nike's forward-thinking design. This collaboration underscored the seamless blend of heritage and modernity, emphasizing the sneaker's role as a bridge between past and future and its ability to cement local communities, becoming at the same time an expression of their social fabric, a chance to project those communities into the future.
GLASS EXPERIENCE IN MURANO
COEVAL had the opportunity to step inside the world of Murano’s glassmaking tradition, observing firsthand how master artisans shape molten glass with precision and care. We were also given the chance to create our own glass bubbles—an unexpected parallel to the air units of the Nike Air Max DN8.
BURANO SPEED BOATS
Another community we had the chance to observe up close was the one revolving around speed boats, or pimped-out barchini, customized boats used by local young people to move between islands and organize parties. A manifestation of the more underground side of the city, these small boats, equipped with powerful engines and advanced sound systems, represent a symbol of freedom and independence. This subculture, with its own distinctive signs, rituals and codes, has grown in time and also caught the attention of Yuri Ancarani, who in his feature film Atlantide explores the lives of the lagoon's youth and their wanderings in Burano, Sant’Erasmo, and Venice.
247 FASTLIFE
The Air Max DN8 was officially introduced to the Venetian community through one of its living icons. In a symbolic gesture, local sandolisti were equipped with the Air Max DN8, highlighting the synergy between the city's traditional modes of transport and Nike's forward-thinking design. This collaboration underscored the seamless blend of heritage and modernity, emphasizing the sneaker's role as a bridge between past and future and its ability to cement local communities, becoming at the same time an expression of their social fabric, a chance to project those communities into the future.
“In Venezia, Nike Air Max DN8 wasn’t just worn—it became part of a living transforming the city into a stage for movement, connection, and creative exchange.”
CELEBRATION AT ARSENALE’S TESA 105
Bringing a rebellious spirit that champions experimentation and sharing the lively energy of Venice, the sneaker seemed like a perfect fit with the suspended and evocative atmosphere of the city, with its dynamic air technology somehow reflecting the very architecture of the city itself.
The culmination of an event that reminded us of collective festivities occurred on March 29th at TESA 105 within the historic Arsenale district. The venue pulsated with raw energy as attendees were treated to electrifying performances by local collectives 24.7 Fastlife and Speed Boat. Their exhibitions went a long way in showing how Nike is imbued in youth culture and how the Air Max DN8 is the perfect shoe for those with an unconventional approach to lifestyle.
Their high-octane displays captivated the audience, expressing the dynamic essence of the Air Max DN8. Starting with an opening set by the emergent 22-year-old rapper Promessa, the evening reached its peak with a surprise performance by rapper Artie 5ive, who arrived on a striking red boat to debut tracks from his latest album, "LA BELLA VITA." With everyone jumping on their DN8, the eight celebrated air bubble units compressing and expanding became a symbol of social gathering itself, an expression of the communities breathing all together.
The festivities continued into the night with a DJ set by Metabolismo Lagunare, waving the space with rhythms that resonated with the sneaker's innovative spirit.
Throughout the three-day event, the series of experiences not only showcased the Air Max DN8 but also celebrated Venice's unique blend of tradition and innovation. By integrating workshops, cultural performances, and community engagement, the activation encapsulated the sneaker's ethos of challenging norms and redefining dynamism, much like the city of Venice itself.
To us experiencing the energy of this gathering firsthand, seeing how deeply connected yet forward-thinking this community is, made it clear that something significant is happening. The Air Max DN8 launch was the catalyst for movement, exchange, and the next chapter of youth culture, and we were there to witness it up close.
photography COEVAL
words DAVIDE ANDREATTA
What to read next
