Whenever we think about sneakers for a cause, Nike Doernbecher is the first to come to mind! You see, the OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital partnered up with Nike 20 years ago to create a magical experience for their patients. And in 2024, Nike Doernbecher Freestyle XX is here to celebrate two decades of style, personality, and creativity! But this year, there’s a little extra something that sneakerheads will love. Let’s find out what that is and meet this year’s heroes, shall we?
What’s Nike Doernbecher Freestyle?
In 2004, Nike and OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital came together to launch the Freestyle program. Every year since then, the program selects six awesome patients to design a collection each! The program then auctions the sneakers and apparel, with the profits going to the hospital. So far, more than 100 kids got to tell their stories through sneakers, and we’re still counting. The program has raised over $37 million for the hospital to help the kids who need it! Now, let’s find out what our young designers brought to the table.
Nike Doernbecher Freestyle XX Comes with Extra Spark!
This year, we’re gonna join Jillian, Sohpia, Quin, Tima, Connor, and Ja’Kai on a journey full of strength and style! Now, the kids’ collections will be available on Nike SNKRS and at select retailers this winter. However, Nike Doernbecher Freestyle XX isn’t your average yearly collab. In fact, Nike come up with a special edition Jordan XX to celebrate the milestone! Only 20 pairs will be available for auction at Sotheby’s starting October 21, 2024.
The bid will start at $1, and will definitely end at a much much higher number. If you’re wondering if it’s worth it, it is! You see, the program recruited Mark Smith, the original designer of the Air Jordan 20. And with his genius, he managed to create kicks that commemorated 20 years of Nike Doernbecher Freestyle. Instead of the usual MJ laser details on the strap, the Doernbecher kicks will feature the initials of the 122 kids who previously participated in the program. Moreover, icons and other details are engraved along with the initials that all reference the program in one way or another.
Sophia Jenkins, 8 – Nike Sabrina 2
Nothing can stop our little hero who has her eyes set on becoming a parasport athlete with a mean backflip! And well, the Nike Sabrina 2 was a great choice of kicks to let Sophia express all her creativity. From her fuzzy blanket to her favorite pickle stuffie, the kicks are colorful and they glow in the dark! Oh, and each pair will come with a DIY friendship bracelet kit because Sophia makes them for her loved ones.
Ja’Kai Taylor, 8 – Nike Air 180
Gaming is a big part of Ja’Kai’s design, but so is his journey as a Type 1 Diabetic. First off, the colorway is a blue-to-green gradient as a nod to power-up colors in video games. Then, the lighting strikes are a representation of Ja’Kai’s electrifying personality. Oh, and the bubble swooshes are a reference to his love for juice boxes! Finally, the outsole is glow-in-the-dark that charges with light exposure. Cool, huh?
Quin Nims, 9 – Nike Air Max SNDR
This is definitely the happiest shoe of the bunch, just the way Quin wanted it to be! “Tiny but strong” is the motto that you can find behind the tongue that perfectly describes our little hero. Her take on the Air Max SNDR features all her favorite colors in paint splatters: orange, teal, and purple! Finally, the purple mudguard’s shape is a nod to dragon scales, aka her favorite movie character.
Tima Sviridenko, 11 – Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 41
This one could qualify as the most adorable pair among the Nike Doernbecher Freestyle XX lineup. Tima’s love for cats is on full display through cat details all over the shoe. But the coolest bit is the paw on the outsole so every time you step, you leave a little paw print behind! Moreover, Time paid tribute to his bone marrow donor Dylan by including his name along with his own on the aglet. Finally, the colorway is a nod to Florida, where Dylan comes from!
Connor Kassing Fernandez, 13 – Nike Air Max DN
“Paso a paso, step by step” is the motto that guides Connor forward in his life. We can find it on the glow-in-the-dark outsole of the gold and black Air Max DN that he designed. But if you look closely at the upper, you’ll find music notes on each pair. Nike designers took these notes from a music piece that Connor and his sister Tess created and played together. Finally, the upper features words that mean a lot to Connor like battle scars, love, hope, art, and more.
Jillian Beagley, 14 – Air Jordan 6
Last but not least, we got soccer, lacrosse, basketball, cucumbers, and tumblers. These are all the things that Jillian loves and that her design features through velcro patches! The Jordan 6 she designed is colorful, mismatched, and is all about giving life. That’s why we can find “Give Life” stitching on the toe box. Moreover. Jillian unapologetically expresses her love for sports through phrases like ‘Sports are my joy’ and ‘That’s who I am’.
How to Score the Nike Doernbecher Freestyle XX Drops
So, as we already mentioned, this whole collection will be available via Nike SNKRS next winter. Keep an eye on our blog for an exact release date soon! Now, if you’re feeling like helping out the cause or simply like the kicks, you might wanna grab them for retail. To do that, you’ll need a good sneaker bot that supports Nike SNKRS! Luckily for you, NSB3 can do that much more. So, what are you waiting for? Go on and get your copy today to be ready when the time comes. Godspeed!
