How Nike’s Doernbecher Project Has Reshaped Sneaker Culture

Over the course of the 2000s, Nikeâ€s keen sense of creativity, ability to build buzz and mission to make a difference all collided in what would be a new hybrid category: charitable collaborations.

From 2003â€s acclaimed “eBay” SB Dunks that raised $30,000 for the Tim Brauch Foundation and skateparks around Portland to LIVESTRONGâ€s celebrated sneakers crafted by the likes of Futura, Mister Cartoon and Busy P that brought money and awareness to cancer, the world was beginning to understand that hype could actually heal.

Since starting in 2003 and releasing at retail in 2007, Nike has been doing good and getting colorful by way of their partnership with the OHSU Doernbecher Childrenâ€s Hospital. Collaborating with kids that fight for their health as patients, the Swoosh has allowed these young heroes to paint through their pain on the brandâ€s most famed silos.

Like any coveted collaboration, the shoes see buzz based on limited amounts and colorful colorways. Unlike their pricey peers, each Doernbecher design dives to a depth in storytelling that canâ€t be compared.

Created by kids with their life on the line, the Doernbecher Freestyle Program produced heralded retros that rank high on any list. 

Take the Air Jordan 6 “Doernbecher” – a pair so nice theyâ€ve released it twice.

Crafted by Jordan Dark, at the time a 12-year-old suffering from Ewing sarcoma — a rare form of bone cancer — his spirited style on the AJ6 played off Air Jordan heritage and his birth date of 12-5-1996.

“Working with my Nike team was great,” recalled Jordan Dark on his experience. “They didnâ€t treat me like a kid. Itâ€s as if I had been working with them forever. They were so creative and receptive to ideas. They were there for me and my design. It was an awesome experience.”

For Jordan, now 24 years old and healthy, the awesome experience of both his life and his legacy through sneakers continues.

“Itâ€s cool to watch a basketball game and see coaches or athletes wearing it,” smiles Jordan who enjoys his good health while working, fixing up cars, fishing and collecting kicks.

Since releasing in 2009, Jordanâ€s AJ6 has returned in 2019 and been worn by the likes of PJ Tucker, Nate Robinson and Travis Scott. Appreciated by all, theyâ€ve become a favorite amongst the SoleSavy community.

“I got the 6s,” shared Chalie in the SoleSavy Slack. “I wish I doubled up on them.”

From the patient perspective, a slew of celebrated designers have shared the same joy as Jordan Dark when it came to creating their kicks.

“My favorite memories of the program are working with Chad and Paul, my design team!” exclaimed Caden Lampert who was fighting a life-threatening autoimmune disease known as Guillain-Barré syndrome when he cooked up the Air Jordan 8 Doernbecher in 2014. “They were always open to all my ideas, and my sneaker design really reflects that.”

These days, Caden is a high school sophomore active in lacrosse and basketball. His recovery is almost complete with improvement every year. While Caden is making his own memories on the field and on the court, a host of A-listers are using his Doernbecher design to make their own memories and turn heads.

Like Jordan, Cadenâ€s kicks have become a statement piece on the NBA hardwood and the red carpet. This endorsement is almost universal amongst all Doernbecher alumni with their creations ranking as coveted as prized collaborations from the top names in fashion and music.

While seeing your shoes on TV and viral IG posts is awesome, for other designers nothing beats their own moment in the spotlight when celebrating their creative conquest. 

“My favorite memory was when I was up on the stage during the 2018 auction and my brother was able to come up with me,” reflects Donovon Dinneen who designed his own Air Jordan 15. “I felt like a star.”

The star treatment has been felt by all members of the Doernbecher Freestyle program. Just the same, it shined a light on unbridled creativity and changed sneaker cultureâ€s perspective around the most historic signature series ever lined up for.

First using Air Jordans in 2007, Nike’s charitable efforts to collaborate with young heroes challenged old rules on what could be considered cool. Allowing gatekeepers to let down their guard, Doernbecher Jordans suddenly became the most sought-after retro releases for a new generation of fans. 

Just the same, it opened the floodgates for the non-Chicago narratives and creative colorways we embrace today as seen by our recent Lâ€Style feature. This chase for deeper stories and different styles by way of Doernbechers is felt by many and ripples through the SoleSavy community.

“Iâ€m a huge DB fan,” states member DieselPower in the SoleSavy Slack. “I have Jordans 3, 5, 7 and 9 through 15. The story is what itâ€s all about and the creativity that the kids come with.”

DieselPower is not alone. Throughout the SoleSavy Slack, numerous members have shared their love for the Doernbecher line. EJ recalls getting the P-Rod pair released all the way back in 2009. Just the same, Vince calls Chloe Swientekâ€s 2018 Air Force 1 their personal favorite, while King James is still searching for the early Air Jordan DBs as well as the famous Foamposites.

On SoleSavy, seemingly everyone has a favorite Doernbecher drop. The Huaraches done by Brayden got 90addict hooked, while Mike_Philly_215 and BigLou4Real affirm Isaiah Scottâ€s DB Air Jordan 4 as one of the best ever.

For some in the SoleSavy community, the connection to Doernbecher is deeper than just creative colorways or someone elseâ€s story. Sumit from Toronto learned about the Doernbecher Childrenâ€s Hospital not by way of chasing collaborations but in a heartfelt search to help his son.

“My son is 3.5 years old,” begins Sumit. “At birth, he was diagnosed with a genetic condition called KCNT1 characterized by recurrent seizures, profound developmental delay, and intellectual impairment. Only 140 cases have been identified thus far in the world. He suffers from 10-20 seizures per day that are not controlled by any medication.” 

Looking for any answers or help he could get, Sumit spent the first three months of his sonâ€s life at The Hospital for Sick Children with numerous visits since. Venturing outside of Toronto, Sumit searched for any way possible to improve his childâ€s health.

“As we struggled to learn about his condition we started to explore other hospitals in North America which could give us a second medical opinion,” recalls Sumit. “During our search, one of the top children’s hospitals I learned about was a hospital out in Oregon called OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. In the process of my research, I stumbled upon a picture of a black and pink shoe with a pizza pin which was retailing at a price I could not comprehend. I started researching more into what made this shoe so special. My research led me into the sneaker world. Things I never knew existed, the colorways, the stories behind the shoe, and the feeling of copping a pair was introduced to me.” 

That Black/Pink sneaker was the DB Air Jordan 12 and the story behind Carissa Navarroâ€s 2017 collaboration hit home with Sumit like few could relate. Carissa was born without kidneys, soon becoming a patient at a childrenâ€s hospital just like Sumitâ€s son. Despite Carissaâ€s circumstances and pain, she was still able to spread joy and hope through an Air Jordan that highlighted her stuffed dog Max, her favorite sports of softball and basketball, and of course, a lace deubré shaped like a slice of pizza.

“My family started to notice my new attraction towards Jordan shoes,” Sumit looks back on the discovery. “Most of my sonâ€s gifts turned into Jordan or basketball shoes of some sort. My sonâ€s medical challenges continue and we have a great support system ensuring he gets the best life he deserves. He has a killer collection of shoes, mostly Jordans. His favorite is his pair of purple Air Jordan 1s.” 

Sumitâ€s story is unique, but the power and hope shared through Doernbecher designs is full circle for the families that experience shared pain to the patients who have been on both sides of suffering, creating, and recovering.

This is true for Ethan Ellis, who in 2019 unveiled his Air Jordan 14 Doernbecher that was designed while dealing with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Since then, Ethanâ€s health has improved and his interest in sneakers has also taken off.

Ethanâ€s Doernbecher design has inspired friends, family, and fans, and itâ€s also inspired his academic life. In 2020, Ethanâ€s English research project profiled sneaker culture and even pulled from his own Doernbecher design experience. Ethan wrote: “The sneaker culture has continued to grow over the past decade. When we see sneakers as part of a business suit or showing up at a wedding, and no one questions the choice, you know they are accepted. Because every sneaker has a story. Every sneaker is a work of art.”

 The 2020 essay earned Ethan an A. Perhaps one day he will be penning these very stories for the SoleSavy editorial team. Or maybe, he will cover Doernbecher stories for ESPN like our own SoleSavy member Wayne Drehs who visited the hospital in 2019.

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As 2021 unfolds, SoleSavy is committed to making the sneaker community more friendly, engaged, and heartfelt. Much of this begins with our partnership and sponsoring of the 2021 Doernbecher Freestyle Event. 

By donating to the cause, bringing community members into the virtual unveiling, and sharing stories, we hope to celebrate the courage and creativity of the charitable collaborations that have changed sneaker culture as we know it.

“The stories and messages behind all of these are amazing and impactful,” notes BTubb of the SoleSavy community on the Doernbecher series.

As expressed in our own SoleSavy Slack from the collectors who are fans to members whose shared experience has been felt in ways unimaginable, the Doernbecher designs speak to much more than clout but actual courage.

“When a loved one — especially your child — is going through something, itâ€s the greatest and deepest pain,” shares Sumit. “A pain which you can’t get rid of. This is where that black and pink shoe captured my heart. It was a reminder that no matter what is going on, you need to move forward. The Doernbecher Nike shoes are designed by children like my son, fighting a fight. but as kids they find a way to be kids and just have fun. This black and pink shoe I speak about has great significance to me. It reminded me that all the interests I had planned for my son shouldnâ€t be taken away because of his medical condition.”

The Doernbecher Freestyle Program is changing lives and saving lives. Celebrate the unveiling of the 2021 Collection live with the SoleSavy community on February 25th.

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