The best Nike DN colourways, ranked
Nike stepped up its air unit game with the Nike DN. These are the model’s best colourways
By Cayle Reid
NIKE HAS ALWAYS had an affinity for air. From the Air Max to the TN, visible air units come part and parcel with Nike’s identity, but they don’t change very often. In fact, since the first air unit appeared on an Air Max in 1987, the feature has remained relatively the same, until recently.
Nike unveiled the new DN (short for ‘Dynamic Air’, in the same confusing way that TN is short for ‘Tuned Air’) in 2024, revealing the first four-tubed air unit, sitting in the heel. The four tubes are actually made up of two pressurised chambers which adjust to buck pressure as you walk, supporting every step.
But the Nike DN isn’t just a great technical leap forward. The silhouette carries a visual boldness akin to a concept car: sculptural midsoles, striking gradients and an all-around air (apologies, low hanging fruit) of futurism.
In its brief existence, the Nike DN has shown us what the future of footwear can look like with a number of cult-favourite colourways. Here, we rank the best DNs ever released.
What are the best Nike Air Max DN sneakers?
10. Nike DN ‘Hyper Blue’
This shoe introduced many sneakerheads to the DN line with a striking visual cue. The blue-to-darker-blue transition across the upper, paired with high-gloss detailing, made it an instant standout and reminiscent of the legendary hyper blue Air Max. In case you’re new here, know that sneakerheads love a sense of generational continuity.
9. Nike DN ‘All Night’
With a darker, more tonal upper and iridescent accents, the All Night colourway brought a level of maturity to the lineup. The darker aesthetic of this pair allows the tech to take centre stage, with the purple air unit more heavily emphasised.
8. Nike DN ‘Volt’
As it’s one of the most classic Nike colourways, the DN getting the Volt treatment was inevitable. As usual, Volt is bold and bright, but where it looks garish and lurid on other models, the DN wears it confidently. The symbolism at work here is also a plus. The neon colour works as a visual metaphor for energy, making the air unit feel even more kinetic.
7. Nike DN ‘Pure Platinum’
A super clean release, this DN colourway features a crisp white upper balanced by black and blue accents, as well as subtle platinum detailing. The design does what the DN does best, putting the focus on shape and motion. The white base emphasises the layered build and airflow-inspired panelling, while the platinum accents add a precision-machined look.
6. Nike DN ‘Triple Black’
Black-on-black-on-black, the Triple Black DN is all-black everything, but there’s nothing basic about it. The shadowy colourway makes the air unit pop harder, while also accentuating the sculptural midsole.
5. Nike DN ‘Platinum Violet’
This soft-toned iteration carries a more elegant, lifestyle-friendly feel. With a lavender upper and icy outsole, it shows the model’s capacity to transcend categories. It won’t be for everyone – mostly because not everyone can pull these off – but Platinum Violet stands out in a DN lineup filled with harsher colourways.
4. Nike DN x LEGO
Call it gimmick-y if you must, but the DN was the perfect canvas for this collaboration with LEGO. The all-yellow colourway works surprisingly well, while the finer details take the cake. The upper is covered in studs, the LEGO logo replaces Nike’s and the air units themselves are covered in minifigures and a mysterious four-eyed alien (who we suspect might be the collab’s mascot).
3. Nike DN ‘University Red’
One of the most assertive colourways in the DN lineup, the University Red DN is drenched in a rich red tone that wraps around the sculpted upper like molten energy. With black accents along the tongue, heel and sole, the bold crimson takes on a sharper edge. This version leans heavily into Nike’s collegiate sports heritage, evoking visions of varsity jackets.
2. Nike DN ‘All Day’
One of the best of the best, All Day exemplifies the DN’s ethos of being bold but wearable and experimental but practical. The gradient is – for lack of a better word – sick, with a mix of cool purple, red and black, with translucent tooling capturing the silhouette’s design perfectly. The top two on this list are more like 1A and 1B, because personal taste is the only thing that can separate them.
1. Nike DN ‘Sunset’
Another legendary Nike colourway, Sunset looks impeccable on a DN. Sunset’s gradient changes form depending on what model it decorates, but in this instance it goes from fiery orange to a deep black, with flashes of red. The fade highlights the air units exceptionally and will, in our opinion, be looked back on 30 years from now as a classic.
Related:
The best Nike SB Dunks, ranked
The best Nike Air Max 90s, ranked
The best Nike Air Max 1 colourways of all time, ranked
