Last night's introduction of the Nike Doernbecher Freestyle XX Collection marks a key milestone for Nike and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Doernbecher Children’s Hospital as they celebrate 20 years of the patient-designer program. One of the most unique series in all of sneakers, the Nike volunteer product expert-led initiative has seen 122 young creatives reimagine Nike silhouettes. In addition to making exciting new sneakers, the project has raised over $37 million USD to date.
While a complete look at what this year's cohort of patient-designers have put together was shared yesterday, we now have a preview of the special auction-exclusive Air Jordan 20 "Doernbecher Freestyle" and its accompanying apparel. The AJ20, introduced in 2005, was created as an homage to 20 years of the Air Jordan 1 and the Air Jordan line's subsequent releases. Now, it serves as the foundation of another 20th anniversary that is being commemorated with the Nike Doernbecher Freestyle program.
When it came time to create this pair, retired VP of special projects in Nike Innovation and longtime Doernbecher Freestyle contributor Mark Smith stepped out of retirement. Smith helped design the original tapestry that reaches across the straps of the AJ20, paying homage to Jordan's legacy. “With the living tapestry for MJ, we wanted the assortment to feel almost like a dream state, when you lose a sense of chronological order and are transported down a path of key memories. There’s no start or finish. You navigate it on a personal level," shares Smith. Channeling that unique approach once again, the laser-engraved graphics of this special colorway see emblems loaded across the straps. These graphics range from the hospital's guiding symbols to its therapy dogs and the red couch at Nike's WHQ where early meetings for the program were held. Beyond this, the initials of all 122 patient-designers are included alongside callbacks to the sneakers they created. You can read more about Smiths' involvement in the original AJ20, as well as this one-of-a-kind design, via Nike's recent web story.
Mentioned previously, the Air Jordan 20 is accompanied not only by a special shoe box and wooden box that both see the tapestry spread across them, but a black Tech Fleece Bomber and t-shirt as well. The former features a Nike Doernbecher Freestyle callout at the chest and back, with the back also featuring a caped character standing proud. As for the sleeves, the left one nods to the 20th anniversary of the program while the right one features many notable emblems. Looking to the t-shirt, it also sees blue thematic graphics cover the front, including the tapestry which is displayed prominently.
A mere 20 numbered pairs of the Air Jordan 20 "Doernbecher Freestyle" will be up for auction via Sotheby's starting on October 21, with the event ending on October 30 at 12pm EDT. All proceeds will benefit Doernbecher and pairs are scheduled to ship before January 2025.
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