The Doernbecher Freestyle program by NIKE, Inc. and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Doernbecher Children’s Hospital returns for the 20th year with six new footwear styles designed by young Doernbecher patients.
Every year since 2004, the Doernbecher Freestyle program has provided young Doernbecher patients the opportunity to express themselves through sneaker design, channeling their interests into inspiring footwear styles adorned with intricate details, hidden messages, and unexpected color palettes. Each design is auctioned and sold to benefit the hospital as part of a signature fundraiser that has raised $37 million since its inception. All profits go to the OHSU Foundation, benefiting Doernbecher, to help fund the cost of care for families in need, support specialized treatment unavailable elsewhere in the region and expand pioneering research that benefits kids around the world.
This year’s lineup features six silhouettes re-envisioned by Doernbecher patient-designers, including the Air Jordan 6, Nike Sabrina 2, Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 41, Nike Air Max DN, Nike Air Max SNDR, and Air 180. In a new touch for this year’s collection, each of the silhouettes will come packaged in a custom, split-open box, similar to the packaging for the TEKKEN 8 x Nike Air Foamposite One. A Nike Tech Fleece hoodie that incorporates elements from each of the patient-designers’ shoes is also included in the collection.
In addition to these six footwear designs, a limited run of 20 Air Jordan XX “Doernbecher Freestyle” sneakers will be auctioned at Sotheby’s, with all proceeds benefiting Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. Each pair is individually numbered and features a tapestry of laser graphics celebrating the collection’s two decades and 122 patient-designers. The pairs are accompanied by a t-shirt and Nike Tech Fleece bomber jacket featuring the special-edition laser print. The online auction will open for bidding October 21 and close October 30 at noon EST. More information can be found at sothebys.com/DB20.
Following the auction, the Nike Doernbecher Freestyle 20 collection will be made available globally this winter on SNKRS, nike.com, and at select retailers, with 100% of profits supporting the hospital’s mission of providing essential care, specialized treatment, and advancing pioneering research. Learn more about this year’s patient-designers and their footwear silhouettes below.
Jillian Beagly
Age: 14
Diagnosis: Liver Transplant
Shoe: Air Jordan 6 Retro
Diagnosed with a serious liver disease as an infant, Jillian Beagley underwent a transplant when she was 11. Today, the upbeat teen is back to playing her favorite sports and already has a state basketball title under her belt. Her Air Jordan VI is all about options, with fun, interchangeable patches and toe boxes that reveal a different color with wear. Embroidered on those toe boxes, Jillian shares a heartfelt message: Give Life. “That’s a tribute to my liver donor,” Jillian says. “Thanks to them, I have a second chance at life.”
Air Jordan 6 by Jillian Beagley
Style Code: IB6059-920
Release Date: Holiday 2024
Price: $200 USD
Sophia Jenkins
Age: 9
Diagnosis: Osteosarcoma
Shoe: Nike Sabrina 2
When Sophie Jenkins lost part of her right leg to bone cancer, she didn’t let it slow her down. Instead, she set her sights on becoming a parasport athlete and promptly taught herself to do a one-legged backflip. The resilient kid loves her pickle stuffie, floral stickers and the pink fuzzy blanket she’s had since she was a baby. You’ll find all the above on her happy-go-lucky Sabrina 2, along with a reminder to live life Sophia Strong.
Nike Sabrina 2 by Sophia Jenkins
Style Code: IB6103-920
Release Date: Holiday 2024
Price: $200 USD
Tima Sviridenko
Age: 11
Diagnosis: X-linked lymphoproliferation Disease 1 (XLP1)
Shoe: Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 41
Tima Sviridenko’s feline-inspired design features his cat, Murka, playfully hanging off the lateral Swoosh, as well as a patch of his beloved cat stuffie and a one-of-a-kind paw pad outsole. Tima was born with an extremely rare immune system disorder, but a bone marrow transplant aided his immune system so he can realize his dream of designing a robotic cat someday.
Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 41 by Tima Sviridenko
Style Code: IB6096-920
Release Date: Holiday 2024
Price: $130 USD
Connor Kassing Fernández
Age: 14
Diagnosis: Low Grade Glioma
Shoe: Nike Air Max DN
Paso a paso, step by step. That’s how Connor Kassing Fernández approaches his life’s biggest challenges, like undergoing surgery and chemotherapy for his brain tumor. His personal motto can be found in English and Spanish on the Air bubble of his Nike Air Max DN silhouette, complementing descriptions of some of his favorite things (sunrises and quesadillas made the list). The music notes on the shoe’s upper are also drawn from an original piano duet Connor wrote with his big sister, Tess.
Nike Air Max DN by Connor Kassing Fernández
Style Code: IB6063-920
Release Date: Holiday 2024
Price: $170 USD
Quin Nims
Age: 10
Diagnosis: Anorectal malformation
Shoe: Nike Air Max SNDR
Quin Nims wants others to know that while she may be tiny, she’s also strong. Not only does she fearlessly ascend climbing walls, but she also endured multiple surgeries to correct a rare defect of her bladder and gastrointestinal system. Quin describes the colorful print on her Air Max SNDR as “splashes of joy and power,” while the spiky mudguard is a nod to her love of dragons. As for the laces, they’re just as sparkly as her personality.
Nike Air Max SNDR by Quin Nims
Style Code: IB6068-920
Release Date: Holiday 2024
Price: $185 USD
Ja’Kai Taylor
Age: 9
Diagnosis: Type 1 diabetes
Shoe: Nike Air 180
Ja’Kai Taylor is an outgoing, active kid who loves gaming, playing soccer and filming TikTok videos about living with type 1 diabetes. That high-energy personality is captured in his Air 180, which features reflective lightning bolts, a glow-in-the-dark outsole and a bubbly Swoosh. Included with the shoes are soccer crests inspired by the decorative patches that overlay Ja’Kai’s continuous glucose monitor — a device that keeps him charged up to get the W.
Nike Air 180 by Ja’Kai Taylor
Style Code: IB6070-920
Release Date: Holiday 2024
Price: $160 USD
Nike Doernbecher Freestyle 20 Tech Fleece Hoodie
Release Date: Holiday 2024
Nike Doernbecher Freestyle 20 Footwear Packaging
Air Jordan XX “Doernbecher Freestyle”
Release Date: October 30, 2024 (Sotheby’s Auction)