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A sneaker can be much more than an accessory. It can become a narrative surface, an urban symbol, an invitation to look beyond what has already been mapped out. This is the intuition behind “Four Steps Ahead”, the ONBIT project that brings together EXTR4 by IMAC, Patron of the initiative, and Mr. Savethewall, the Italian artist exclusively represented by Deodato Arte.
On the occasion of Pitti Uomo 110, taking place in Florence from 16 to 19 June 2026, the project will bring to the forefront a collaboration that intertwines public art, sneaker culture, urban performance and new generations. Not simply a Capsule Collection, but a story in motion that takes shape from the shoe and opens itself up to the city.
From the Wall to the Sneaker: Il Ribelle According to Mr. Savethewall
The visual heart of the project is Il Ribelle, one of Mr. Savethewall’s iconic subjects, reinterpreted for EXTR4 as an image of movement, curiosity and exploration. Not a rebel “against”, but a rebel “ahead”: a young, free, urban figure, able to move through space, observe what surrounds him and choose his own direction.
The collaboration takes shape in a limited-edition unisex footwear Capsule Collection, created by the artist together with Mario Sisillo, the company’s creative figure. The first shoe, number zero, will be presented at the EXTR4 stand at Pitti Uomo as a true work of art.
For Mr. Savethewall, this transition also represents a natural evolution of his artistic research. With “Four Steps Ahead”, the artistic gesture moves onto the sneaker: the shoe is no longer merely an object to wear, but becomes a fragment of art in motion.
As the artist explains, “Il Ribelle is not someone who breaks the rules for the sake of it. He is someone who looks first, moves first, searches first.” This is where the idea of being “four steps ahead” comes from: four steps ahead, beyond the target, already projected towards a future possibility.
EXTR4 and the Role of Contemporary Patronage
For EXTR4 by IMAC, the collaboration with Mr. Savethewall is part of a path that connects fashion, public art and performative languages. The sneaker becomes the starting point for a broader experience, one capable of involving the city and the community in a collective narrative.
Francesco Mazzocconi, owner of IMAC, describes the project as a conscious choice of patronage: not occupying a space, but making a dialogue between business, art and culture possible. “Four Steps Ahead” was conceived as an open initiative, designed to speak to young people through an authentic, urban and contemporary language.
On 16 June, Florence Becomes an Urban Stage
The inaugural moment of “Four Steps Ahead” will take place on Tuesday, 16 June 2026, the opening day of Pitti Uomo. Florence will become the stage for an itinerant ritual that will bring the monumental EXTR4 sneaker, an authorial work signed by Mr. Savethewall, into the city.
The monumental sneaker will cross the historic centre, moving from Pitti to the Fortezza da Basso, before reaching the headquarters of Canottieri Comunali Firenze on Lungarno Francesco Ferrucci at 7:00 p.m.
The journey will end at sunset on the Arno, where the monumental shoe will be brought onto the river accompanied by the club’s canoes. After crossing Florence, the work will find its final moment on the water, becoming a poetic presence: an image capable of bringing together urban culture, historical heritage and collective participation.
The project is also supported by the Federazione Italiana Canoa Kayak and Canottieri Comunali Firenze.
A Social Contest to Tell the Story of the Collective Artwork
“Four Steps Ahead” also comes to life through digital participation. During the day of 16 June, citizens, students, young creatives, visitors and the community will be invited to share their encounter with the work through Instagram.
Those who come across the monumental sneaker, the cargo bike or the final parade on the Arno will be able to publish photos, videos, reels or original content using the official hashtag #4stepsahead and tagging @extr4_sneakers.
At the heart of the contest is storytelling: participants are not simply asked to produce an image, but to build a narrative capable of amplifying the work through a personal, urban and contemporary perspective.
In this way, young people are not merely the recipients of communication; they become authors, interpreters and amplifiers of an experience that is built step by step.
An Urban Manifesto for Those Who Look Ahead
With “Four Steps Ahead”, EXTR4 by IMAC and Mr. Savethewall bring to life a collaboration that does not stop at the Capsule Collection, but becomes an open cultural platform. A shoe to look at, follow, cross and tell.
It is a project that takes art out of the frame and returns it to the street, to the feet of those who walk the city every day. A small urban manifesto dedicated to those who do not want to adapt to an already marked path, but to start moving first.
