NIKE, Inc. is celebrating more than two decades of partnership with Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Doernbecher Children’s Hospital by debuting the 21st Doernbecher Freestyle collection of footwear silhouettes reimagined by courageous patient-designers.
This year’s collection features six striking styles, created through a unique partnership between Doernbecher patients and Nike volunteer product experts.
Among this year’s six talented Doernbecher Freestyle patient-designers are young athletes who love softball, basketball, and nature walks. The kids are also passionate about delicious food, video games, stuffed animals, and fixing bikes. While they’ve all experienced challenging medical journeys, they’d much rather share what brings them joy, what words have helped them overcome their obstacles, and their appreciation for all the people who’ve helped them along the way.
The collaboration reflects the partners’ shared commitment to helping kids reach their greatest potential — in sport and in life — with Nike powering a future of youth sport that invites all kids to play and Doernbecher providing life-saving care to help patients thrive.
First up, Khovny Vignery channels her love for snakes into a vibrant V2k Runner. A light-up bear keeps the snake company, as does a miniature depiction of her stuffed monkey, Pinky Doo Doo. Khovny also included a detachable friendship bracelet to honor the memory of her brother Ryan, who had the same rare condition as his sister.
Molly Bell drew inspiration from her love of the great outdoors- fittingly putting her touch on the Vomero Plus. The natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest takes center stage on Molly’s Vomero Plus sneaker- a camas flower adorns the upper, the Swoosh features a cool lenticular forest print, and a fawn hoof is included on the dirt-inspired outsole. As an advocate for the autism community, Molly included a quote on the enclosed field journal from her favorite author, Robin Wall Kimmerer: “The most important thing each of us can know is our unique gift and how to use it in the world.”
Oli’s shoe is a walking feast. This aspiring chef threw some of his favorite ingredients into his design, including a garden of vegetables on the insole, a laser-etched outsole, and olive branches embossed on the Swoosh. There’s even a miniature set of utensils for snacking on the go.
When Oli was undergoing cancer treatment, he frequently drew rainbows as a symbol of hope and positivity. One of those rainbows can be found on the outsole, helping others look on the bright side when facing challenges. Stay prepared to cook and eat with miniature versions of a spatula, fork and spoon tucked into the lateral Swoosh. All the while, interchangeable heel patches showcase his family initials, personally curated symbols and the sports he can now play after overcoming cancer.
Nothing can keep Raegan Scheid off the softball field — not even open-heart surgery. Raegan’s determination is matched only by her creativity, which she put to good use when designing her Nike Dn8. The upper is covered with reflective sport graphics, while the Nike Air bubbles are printed with softball stitching. Since Raegan’s happy place is the beach, frothy waves splash across the midsole. And to help carry others forward in challenging times, she shared the words that keep her going: I CAN DO HARD THINGS.
Raegan’s golden retriever, Blue, guest stars on the hanging keychain. Custom made by Raegan is a heart logo on the tongue that nods to the congenital heart condition she overcame.
Sergio’s rare genetic disease makes him look a little different, but he thinks that being different is awesome and designed his custom kicks for those who feel the same way. The black shoe is dedicated to video games and drawing, while the white shoe features monster lizards enjoying a pizza party against a vibrant New York skyline. Basketballs on the tongue reflect Sergio’s love of the sport, and colorful holes on the outsole symbolize buttons from his favorite gaming controller.
Zach Rumbaugh is an active, friendly teen with a knack for fixing things — especially bikes and cars. He poured his love of all things mechanical into his Air Jordan 17, which features bolts on the eyelets and chrome elements inspired by Michael Jordan’s motorcycle. As for the number 38, that’s how many days he spent in the hospital recovering from sudden cardiac arrest.
The color-shifting purple upper took inspiration from custom car wraps. Zach’s love of cats appears as a feline-forward toe box graphic, while the suede collar mimics luxury car interiors, while the iridescent heel clip was crafted to look like burnt titanium exhaust tips.
In addition to this year’s six unique footwear silhouettes, the Doernbecher Freestyle 21 collection also includes two exclusive apparel styles featuring elements from each of the kids’ footwear designs: a men’s Nike Club Fairway Cardigan and T-shirts in men’s and kids’ sizing.
This year’s Doernbecher Freestyle footwear and apparel first becomes available at auction in Portland on October 17 before launching globally on SNKRS and at select retail locations this winter.
