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Each year, Nike teams up with the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Doernbecher Children’s Hospital to launch a collection of footwear designed by patients. Since the first collection in 2004, the partnership has raised over $37 million for the hospital. Now 20 years strong, the Nike x Doernbecher partnership celebrates this milestone anniversary with six new patient-designed sneakers and an ultra-exclusive Air Jordan 20.
This year, Nike and Doernbecher have tasked Jillian Beagley, Sophia Jenkins, Tima Sviridenko, Connor Kassing Fernández, Quin Nims, and Ja’Kai Taylor with telling their stories through the Air Jordan 6, Nike Sabrina 2, Air Zoom Pegasus 41, Air Max DN, Air Max SNDR, and Air 180, respectively. These six designers will each be present on a collaborative Nike Tech Fleece hoodie alongside elements from each design. Embroidered graphics from each shoe are found on the sleeves, with the first name of the six children found on the back of the neck.
Alongside the six patient-designed sneakers, Nike and Doernbecher have cooked something special to commemorate 20 years of partnership with a 1-of-20 Air Jordan 20. Inspired by the 122 patient designers and their stories, Sotheby's will offer the numbered Air Jordan 20 Doernbecher Freestyle at auction.
The design features a clean white and black color palette across the leather and suede panels, with the patent leather strap and the sockliner coming in a baby blue hue. Laser graphics are applied to the lockdown strap, featuring different nods to the Doernbecher Freestyle program, with this same pattern also landing on the sockliner and the heel overlay. As mentioned, the shoe is limited to just 20 units, with each pair coming numbered on the medial side. All of this comes packaged in a custom laser-engraved wooden box.
All of the Nike x Doernbecher Freestyle XX Collection pairs, except the Air Jordan 20, will release during the Holiday 2024 season through Nike SNKRS and select retailers online and in-store. Pricing ranges between $130 and $200 depending on the model with 100% of the profits supporting the hospital’s mission of providing essential care, specialized treatment, and advancing pioneering research. A special auction will help raise funds for Doernbecher Hospital alongside these releases.
The auctions for the Air Jordan 20 will begin on October 21 and end on October 30 at noon EST exclusively via Sotheby's.
Below, we’ve highlighted each of the six patients in this year’s Doernbecher Freestyle Collection, telling their stories and breaking down the design of each of their shoes. To stay updated on release info for the collection, download the Sole Retriever mobile app.
Images via Nike
Jillian Beagley - Air Jordan 6 Retro
When Jillian Beagly was an infant, she was diagnosed with a rare liver disease that required her to have a liver transplant when she was 11. Now, at the age of 14, Jillian is playing the game of basketball for her school, winning a state title in the process. For her Air Jordan 6, she adds interchangeable patches, heart-shaped perforations, and a pastel color palette to MJ’s sixth model. Aside from the white leather staying the same on each pair, we see mismatched colors used on the underlays, laces, heel spoiler, and sole unit, a nod to Jillian’s love of wearing mismatched Jordans on the basketball court.
On the medial midsole, Jillian’s handwritten mantra “SPORTS ARE MY JOY” is present in white, with the right medial side staying “IT’S WHO I AM.” She also adds velcro patches to the collars to allow customization through the various patches included in the packaging. These feature her favorite things from sports like basketball, soccer, and lacrosse to cucumbers, her favorite tumbler, and her “Pure Gold” mantra.
In Jillian’s eyes, everyone is “Pure Gold” when they’re true to themselves, with the phrase also coming split between the left and right heel of the shoes and golden hues featured on the lace lock and cover. Moving to the toebox, the message “Give Life” is embroidered. “That’s a tribute to my liver donor,” Jillian says. “Thanks to them, I have a second chance at life.” Over time, the toebox will wear away to reveal a secret secondary color.
Jillian Beagley x Air Jordan 6 Retro DB
Sophia Jenkins - Nike Sabrina 2
Sophia Jenkins is only nine years old but already has more resilience than most. She didn’t let her Osteosarcoma diagnosis, a rare and aggressive bone cancer that led to her losing part of her right leg, slow her down. Her dream is to become a parasport athlete, and she’s already taught herself to do a one-legged backflip. On Sophia’s Sabrina 2, she integrates everything in her life that brings her comfort, from the pink fuzzy blanket she’s had since she was a baby to floral stickers and her pickle stuffie. Pink and purple hues take over most of the sneaker, with blue and red tie-dye pops featured on select details.
Alongside her favorite items added to the sneaker along the sole unit and her pickle stuffie recreated on the S overlay near the lateral toe, the heel features “Sophia Strong” in a font used on t-shirts worn by her community to represent her battle. Floral and heart graphics are subtly integrated into various upper parts, while the sockliner directly references her favorite fuzzy blanket. Underfoot, the silhouette has a glow-in-the-dark outsole that continues the smiley face graphics found along the sole unit. The packaging includes a DIY kit to make friendship bracelets, which Sophia loves doing for her loved ones.
Sophia Jenkins x Nike Sabrina 2 DB (W)
Tima Sviridenko - Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 41
Tima Sviridenko was born with the extremely rare immune system disorder, X-linked lymphoproliferative Disease 1 (XLP1). However, he was fortunate to have a bone marrow transplant that let this 11-year-old work towards his dream of designing a robotic cat. Naturally, with Tima's love for all things feline, cat-like details were a must on his Zoom Pegasus 41. The tropical colors, however, are a heartfelt tribute to his bone marrow donor from Florida, honoring Dylan's home state. Various cats are found on the sneaker, including a furry chenille patch along the lacing set, an homage to his cat stuffie, Murzik, and his family cat hanging on the Swoosh, a reminder to hang in there.
Integrated throughout the vibrant red overlays along the toe, midfoot, and heel is a glow-in-the-dark pattern that features cat prints, again showcasing Tima's love for cats. Something extra special to this Pegasus 41 is the redesigned outsole. The same paw print mentioned before is added to the rubber outsole, allowing Tima and others to leave a paw print with every step. Final details are found on the lace set, which features "March 4th" and "March Forth." March 4th was the day Tima had his bone marrow transplant, the day his family felt they could "March Forth." Also present here is his donor's name, Dylan, and Tima's name applied to the lace aglet.
Tima Sviridenko x Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 41 DB
Connor Kassing Fernández - Nike Air Max DN
After undergoing surgery and chemotherapy for his brain tumor, Connor Kassing Fernández takes life paso a paso (step by step). This motto of Connor’s is applied in both English and Spanish on the Air unit of his Air Max DN design, with the sneaker itself coming coated in black and metallic gold hues. However, this wasn’t his only design, as Connor crafted 17 different versions before picking the regal color palette. He also chose to apply music notes all over the shoe’s upper, drawing inspiration from an original piano duet Connor wrote with his big sister, Tess. Each note is placed on the corresponding shoe, with right-hand notes applied to the right shoe and left-hand notes to the left, mirroring how they would be played on a piano.
Scattered between the sheet music are words that have deep meaning to Connor, whether they represent hardships or joys. These meanings include things like his sister, his love band, the battle scars he’s endured on his journey, and his love for art, among other inspiring words. Amongst all the added details on the upper is a fractal pattern inspired by the Zentangles Connor draws. Finishing the sneaker is the Paso a Paso and Step by Step text on the outsole, the golden block on the lace lock representing Connor’s love for building blocks, and the Air Connor logo on the heel.
Connor Kassing Fernández x Nike Air Max DN DB
Quin Nims - Nike Air Max SNDR (W)
Although 10-year-old Quin Nims is tiny, she’s stronger than most. She’s endured multiple surgeries to correct a rare defect, anorectal malformation, that affects her bladder and gastrointestinal system. Since undergoing these operations, her quality of life dramatically improved. She describes her Air Max SNDR as the “happiest shoes that I can think of” and the splatter print on the upper as “splashes of joy and power.” These come in purple, teal, and orange shades that pierce off the white upper, all representing Quin’s favorite colors. Additional purple appears on the wavy, spiked mudguard, a design inspired by the spine of dragons, one of Quin’s favorite creatures. Not only does the panel appear in the shape of a spine, but the texture applied resembles dragon scales.
As mentioned before, though she is tiny, Quin is strong. This mantra is directly applied to the sneaker behind the tongue. Quin’s name is also featured on the outside portion of the tongue, which is concealed behind the zipper shroud. Below, the Air units on the sole unit also feature the “splashes of joy and power” in a teal shade.
Quin Nims x Nike Air Max Sunder DB (W)
Ja’Kai Taylor - Nike Air 180
Ja’Kai Taylor’s high-energy personality isn’t stopped by his type 1 diabetes diagnosis. Quite the contrary, as this 9-year-old plays soccer, films TikTok videos about his journey with diabetes, and loves to game. Along with nods to juice boxes and his favorite color, blue, these activities helped create Ja’Kai’s Nike Air 180. The green-to-blue gradient on the mesh base evokes the color palette of power-ups seen in video games, while the bubbly Swoosh represents his love for juice boxes.
Lightning bolt details are applied to the black overlays near the front portion of the upper, symbolizing the electronic glucose monitoring device Ja’Kai has to wear. Ja’Kai’s name and jersey number are placed in a font one might find on a soccer jersey, nodding to his love for soccer. Branding along the tongue is redesigned with a “T1D” logo meant to inspire other kids who are type 1 diabetic. Finishing his design is the blue glow-in-the-dark outsole.
Ja'Kai Taylor x Nike Air 180 DB
In this article
Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. Concerts, music, trying new restaurants, and catching the latest movies are some of the things I enjoy when not writing for Sole Retriever. Email: nick@soleretriever.com
