There's a fair argument that we're living in the golden age of sneakers, with at least a dozen exciting styles releasing each and every week. We try to bring you the best of the best—but that represents a small percentage of what's ultimately an unrelenting flood. In the middle of this ongoing ruckus, this year, like every year, Nike is going all in on the Doernbecher Freestyle Collection, a celebration of life and a true injection of inventiveness into the market.
Back in 2003, Michael Doherty was sitting on the board of Oregon's OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital at the same time that he was Nike's creative director. His two worlds were very separate, but he saw an opportunity to bring them together. 13 years ago he invited child patients from Doernbecher to meet design partners at Nike, forming little teams that collaborated on a collection of footwear. Since that first outing, the Doernbecher Freestyle Collection has only gotten more popular each year as these kids bring something to Nike that Nike can't do itself.
This year, Nike invited six patient-designers to work on a collection of footwear and apparel with the only requirement being that they choose their own inspiration. This collection isn't a saccharine memorial for these kids, instead it's based on their interests and desires so we can get to know them for who they really are.
Andy Grass, an 11-year-old who survived a catastrophic injury that broke bones and injured organs throughout his body, brought his vision to a pair of Kyrie IIs (with a shout out to his Mom).
Braylin Soon, who offers a bright green pair of Air Huaraches, was diagnosed with Autoimmune Hepatitis, forcing her to get a liver transplant at just 8 years old.
Living with epilepsy has barely slowed Chase Swearingen down, and he brings his unstoppable energy and outlook to a pair of Air Max Zeros.
Cystic Fibrosis is an incurable disorder that robs many of a full life, but Chehayla Hyatt has taken her fight all the way to the Senate as a 10-year-old advocate for Cystic Fibrosis awareness. She also created a pair of Air Max Zeros.
Corwin Carr's love of planes is clearly evident on the pair of Stefan Janoskis he created with the team at Nike, who were inspired to tap him for his courage in the face of a bevy of birth abnormalities.
Even at age 10 Damien Phillips is learning how to manage his Hemophilia on his own, quite a feat considering the severity of his condition. He brought his vision to a pair of Air Jordan 7s that are guaranteed to be the most popular of the collection (the Jordans always are).
Without fail the Doernbecher collection is aesthetically unlike anything else Nike does. Whenever sneaker brands collaborate with outside talent there's a balance of taste and aesthetic. They find creative cohabitation in a single silhouette or collection of products that are true to the collaborator's vision while remaining authentic to Nike's brand identity. But when Nike teams up with the kids through Doernbecher, the brand gives full control to the kids.
The patient-designers' sartorial senses aren't necessarily as refined as adults, and nor should they be. These are kids who have gone through, or are going through, challenges that few of us ever will face. The expression on these shoes is a result of their creative dreams. With that can come confusing choices and sometimes garish designs. But that's part of the pleasure of the Doernbecher collection. You can see the childhood—the eye of wonder and the taste of youth—in every stitch. They're unique and offer fresh points of view, like a wrench in the traditional aesthetic works. Thank god for that.
You can think they're ugly if you want to, but if that's all you think of them, you're missing the point. These shoes are for the kids who designed them and an extension of their stories. Wear them for what they mean and not necessarily what they look like.
100% of the proceeds from the Doernbecher Freestyle Collection will benefit OHSU Doernbecher when the collection releases on 17 December.
One irony of this collection is that the items are usually made in limited quantities and as a result become hot commodities on the secondary market (translation: us lot across the pond), often making more money for resellers than for OHSU Doernbecher. But this is one time that the secondary market benefits the primary: Since the designs from the Doernbecher collection can be a challenging sell to casual sneaker-wearers, the raising of their prestige through resale can often make a coveted sneaker out of one that would otherwise be ignored. The rampant resell of these shoes guarantees that the Doernbecher Freestyle Collection will continue to be a hit.
And if a few hustlers making some extra money means Nike and OHSU Doernbecher can have successful releases for years to come—well, that's okay with us.
