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A sneaker can be much more than just a shoe. It can become a canvas, a symbol, and a tool capable of connecting art, fashion, cities, and new generations. This vision gave rise to “4 Steps Ahead”, the project conceived by ONBIT that brings together EXTR4 by IMAC, acting as the initiative’s Patron, and Mr. Savethewall, an Italian artist exclusively represented by Deodato Arte and known for a direct, ironic visual language deeply rooted in urban culture.
The project takes shape through a limited-edition unisex footwear Capsule Collection, developed by Mr. Savethewall together with Mario Sisillo, the company’s creative designer. The sneaker thus becomes a narrative surface: no longer simply a product to wear, but a work of art in motion, designed to live in the streets and come into direct contact with people.
At the heart of the collaboration is Il Ribelle, one of the artist’s iconic subjects, reinterpreted for EXTR4 as a positive symbol of movement, curiosity, and exploration. Not a figure who challenges the rules simply for the sake of it, but someone who looks beyond, anticipates change, and independently chooses their own direction. A contemporary rebel who is not “against”, but already ahead: four steps ahead.
As Mr. Savethewall himself explained, the project stems from the desire to take art beyond the frame and bring it back into the urban space. “4 Steps Ahead” therefore becomes an invitation not to wait passively for the world to change, but to start moving and imagine new possibilities in advance.
For EXTR4 by IMAC, the collaboration represents another step along a journey that brings business, public art, performance, and youth culture into dialogue. The brand consciously embraces the role of Patron, supporting a project that goes beyond promoting a sneaker and builds a genuine cultural platform around it. The launch of the shoe therefore marks the beginning of a travelling narrative, designed to move through cities and actively engage communities.
Florence: the monumental sneaker crosses the city and reaches the Arno
The first stage of “4 Steps Ahead” took place in Florence, during Pitti Uomo 110, transforming the launch of the Capsule Collection into a widespread urban ritual.
The project began at the EXTR4 stand, where shoe number zero was unveiled, conceived as a true work of art. From there, the monumental sneaker designed by Mr. Savethewall moved beyond the boundaries of the trade fair to travel through the historic centre, squares, and streets of the city, becoming an unexpected presence within the Florentine landscape.
More than a simple travelling installation, it was a contemporary parade capable of inviting the public to stop, observe, photograph, and share. The sneaker’s journey created a bridge between the language of Street Art, fashion culture, and the city’s historical heritage, engaging visitors, residents, and young people.
The artwork was accompanied along the route by a cargo bike and a group of young people who handed out red foam hearts, small visual symbols designed to make participation immediate and recognisable. The public did not remain merely spectators, but became part of the narrative, helping to create a collective work spread across both physical space and the digital dimension.
The journey ended at sunset at the headquarters of Canottieri Comunali Firenze, on Lungarno Francesco Ferrucci. The monumental sneaker was taken onto the Arno and accompanied by the club’s canoes, becoming a poetic presence suspended between art, sport, and landscape.
The Florence stage was also accompanied by a social media contest, inviting the public to share their encounter with the artwork using the hashtag #4stepsahead and the tag @extr4_sneakers. Photos, videos, and reels extended the sneaker’s journey beyond the streets of Florence, turning participants into creators and amplifiers of the project.
Pompeii: a contemporary ritual in a timeless place
After Florence, “4 Steps Ahead” reached Pompeii, where Piazza Esedra was transformed into a meeting point for history, urban art, music, movement, and collective participation.
In a place deeply marked by memory and the passage of time, the monumental sneaker became the centre of a new contemporary ritual. During the event, Mr. Savethewall customised the artwork live, allowing the public to witness the transformation of the shoe firsthand.
The performance generated a youthful, festive, and shared energy, creating an unprecedented dialogue between the monumentality of the past and the visual languages of the present. Piazza Esedra was not merely the setting for the initiative, but a vibrant space of connection, filled with people, sounds, images, and interactions.
The Pompeii stage confirmed the project’s open and participatory nature. “4 Steps Ahead” is not a static format simply repeated from one city to another, but a cultural journey that changes and grows thanks to the people who experience it, follow it, and share its story.
Each new stage adds another layer to the project, transforming the monumental sneaker into a device capable of activating communities and generating connections between different places, generations, and forms of expression.
The journey continues towards Milan
After Florence and Pompeii, attention is already turning to Milan, the next stage of the journey.
The city will host a new chapter of “4 Steps Ahead”, designed to further expand the dialogue with the public and strengthen the connection between sneaker culture, contemporary art, and urban participation.
The project continues to move from city to city, leaving behind visual, emotional, and collective traces. Because “4 Steps Ahead” is not simply the story of a Capsule Collection; it is an invitation to view the present from a different perspective, imagine what does not yet exist, and start walking before everyone else.
