Nike has unveiled its new Nike Doernbecher Freestyle collection. For the 22nd edition, six young patients from OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland each designed their own sneaker together with Nike employees. All six silhouettes are making their debut in the Nike Doernbecher Freestyle series.
The line-up consists of the Air Max 1/97, Air Jordan 11 Low IE, ACG Rufus, Air Force 1 Mid, Structure Plus and GT Future. Every pair tells the story of its designer. Owen gave his Air Max 1/97 an orange and gold upper with a mud-splatter print and a dirt bike charm. Royce built a Western-themed Air Force 1 Mid with a belt buckle and laces braided like a lasso.
Charlye chose a pink camo upper for the ACG Rufus that changes colour under UV light. Aurora turned the Structure Plus into a kawaii design with pink fur, cherry blossoms and a removable hair bow. Avery drew her own characters on the Air Jordan 11 Low IE, including a posh British alien named Greg. Kamoryn worked goldfish and a chrome Swoosh into his GT Future, a nod to his titanium hip.
More than a colourway
It's great that Nike still keeps this initiative going and uses this collection to draw attention to sick children. The designs are always bold, of course, but also interesting when you look at them from the right perspective.
The Nike Doernbecher Freestyle collection was first sold at an auction in Portland on 16 October. All profits from the programme go to the hospital, supporting patient care and research. For now, Nike has only announced a release in the United States. A European release date and retail price have not been confirmed yet, so keep an eye on Nike.
Want to know whether the Nike Doernbecher Freestyle sneakers will land in Europe too? Check our release calendar, find more models in the sneaker search engine and download the Sneakerjagers app to stay up to date.
