Sneaker News 
Next weekend will mark the full reveal of this year’s Doernbecher Freestyle set of sneakers from Nike. The shoes have been a yearly highlight in the sneaker world ever since the project’s 2003 debut, but here’s some info if you’re unfamiliar: Nike invites a group of patients from the Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in their native Portland to pitch in on sneaker design, crafting their own whimsical shoes that are in turn sold in limited quantities, with all the benefits thereof going to charity. Before we’re collectively filled in on what else is to come from this year’s group (In addition to the already released Air Jordan 5 designed by the late Isaac Arzate) we thought it would be interesting to call out some models that could best benefit from the Doernbecher Freestyle program.
While the Air Jordan release amongst the collection inevitably ends up the most coveted of the bunch, the rest of the set still serves up plenty of interesting, eye-catching designs that disappear quickly from stock. But is it time for Nike to broaden the range of silhouettes available? Should they slide a signature model from Nike Basketball in there for once, or maybe add in a new Nike Sportswear model that has only recently gained steam? The Sneaker News team has compiled a list of suggestions for 2013’s Doernbecher Freestyle sneakers from Nike, so read on to see what we’ve picked out and check out the quick introduction of this year’s Doernbecher designers below.
Stay tuned for the complete reveal of the 2013 10th anniversary collection of Doernbecher Freestyle on Saturday, September 28th.
Before we begin tonight’s feature, let’s take a quick moment to meet this year’s designers for the Nike Doernbecher Freestyle X.
Name: Elijah Diggins (Top left)
Age: 14
Diagnosis: Burkitt’s Leukemia
Department: Pediatric Oncology
Doctor(s): Suman Malempati, M.D., Shelton Viola, M.D.
Favorite Color: Royal blue
Favorite Athlete: Lebron James
Favorite Movie: Die Hard series and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Hero: My grandfather in Japan because he volunteers in the community for many years and he puts so much effort to improve the community and helping others in need.
Perfect Day: I become a Major League Baseball player
Stats: Doernbecher oncologists are on the cutting-edge of finding cures for childhood cancer, while providing exceptional care for kids in Oregon and southwest Washington.
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Name: Daniel Pena (Top middle)
Age: 12
Diagnosis: Hemophilia
Department: Pediatric Hematology (Blood Disorders)
Doctor(s): Michael Recht, M.D., Ph.D.
Favorite Color: Red, purple
Favorite Athlete: Michael Jordan
Favorite Movie: Stepbrothers
Perfect Day: A family vacation in Hawaii
Stats: Kids from throughout the Northwestern United States depend on Doernbecher’s pediatric hemophilia center for the very best care for all types of blood disorders.
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Name: Ross Hathaway (Top right)
Age: 11
Diagnosis: Cystic Fibrosis
Department: Pulmonology, Cystic Fibrosis Center
Doctor(s): Mike Powers, M.D.; Holger Link, M.D., MRCP
Favorite Color: Purple
Favorite Athlete: My dad
Favorite Movie: Elf and Balls of Fury
Hero: My mom
Perfect Day:
Have a giant twinkie
Hang out on the couch and talk with my family
Get all our chores done
Play two hours of mine craft
Go to the movies with my sister
Watch a movie at home with my whole family
At the end of the day, skateboard at night with my dad
Stats:
Doernbecher’s Cystic Fibrosis Center is the only nationally certified Cystic Fibrosis center in Oregon and treats patients from as far away as Alaska. Doernbecher scientists are investigating the underlying causes of CF and are part of an international team devoted for finding a cure.
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Name: Bella Stone (Bottom left)
Age: 9
Diagnosis: Renal and hip dysplasia, kidney failure and kidney transplant (at age 2)
Department: Pediatric Nephrology
Doctor(s): David Rozansky, M.D., Ph.D., Amira Al-Uzri, M.D.
Favorite Color: Pink and purple, and blue too
Favorite Athlete: Not sure. I like gymnastics, though.
Favorite Movie: Brave and Madagascar 3
Hero: My whole family
Perfect Day:
Father-daughter dance with my dad
Stats: Kids with kidney disorders depend on Doernbecher’s Nephrology specialists, who treat a wide variety of illnesses and diseases.
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Name: Kate Smith (Bottom middle)
Age: 17
Diagnosis: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Department: Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Doctor(s): Ajit Jetmalani, M.D.
Favorite Color: Green
Favorite Movie: The Harry Potter movies
Hero: Darren Criss
Perfect Day:
I wake up feeling energized, go down to the set of a film where I’m the star, have fun shooting the film with awesome cast members, and go to bed feeling proud of myself and happy.
Stats: Doernbecher’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry team is dedicated to addressing the special needs and challenges of children of all ages while providing expert psychiatric care.
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Name: Jake Dering (Bottom right)
Age: 8
Diagnosis: Oto-Palatal-Digital Syndrome Type II
Department: Pediatric Neurosurgery
Doctor(s): Nate Selden, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.A.P.
Favorite Color: Red
Favorite Athlete: Lebron James
Favorite Movie: Karate Kid
Hero: My mom, because she saved my life
Perfect Day:
Record music with Will.i.am, Usher and Justin Bieber. Then be able to run as fast as I can without using my crutches and eat cake!
Stats: Doernbecher’s neuro team delivers the highest caliber care, driven by the latest medical research, for kids with all types of neurological disorders from epilepsy to brain tumors.
Nike Kobe 8 Doernbecher
Over the last nine Doernbecher Freestyle Collections, a Nike Basketball signature sneaker has never been done. If we had to choose a starting point, the Nike Kobe 8 would the perfect candidate to set off a new string of Fall must-haves for a number of reasons; in addition to the sneaker’s immense popularity among the general public, the Kobe 8 Engineered Mesh upper has proved to be the perfect blank canvas for an artist to ham with a unique design. We’ve seen Pit Viper, Year of the Snake, Graffiti, and much more, and Nike could easily task the young designer to create a drawing or some sort mosaic graphic and have it as the focal point of the shoe’s design. “Nike Kobe 8 Doernbecher” definitely has a nice ring to it!
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Nike Roshe Run Doernbecher
This one’s a no-brainer, isn’t it? The phenomenal $70 shoe known as the Roshe would be perfect for random scribblings, drawings, and graphics because the shoe is as wonderfully plain as it is simplistically pleasing. We’ve seen Nike give the Roshe mesh upper some multi-colored capabilities, but we’ve yet to see its full potential. A Doernbecher Roshe shoe would be the perfect “pre-heat” for future off-colored Roshe releases, and with a Roshe sequel not anywhere in sight just yet, giving it the Doernbecher treatment would be a nice treat.
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Nike SB Stefan Janoski Doernbecher
Nike Skateboarding has been a continued participant with the Doernbecher Freestyle, but it’s time for the Janoski juggernaut to step up to the plate. Whether in Low or Mid form, the Janoski has tons of potential with various materials like suede, leather, rip-stop canvas, and more, and the recent Digi-Floral drops has proven that Janoski fans want more prints rather than solid colors. Much like the Kobe 8 Engineered Mesh and thin mesh upper on the Roshe, the Janoski too acts like a blank canvas for the young designer to have his/her day.
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Nike WMNS Dunk Sky High Doernbecher
Every year, at least one womens/girls model gets selected as part of the exclusive Doernbecher set. So with wedge sneakers taking the lady footwear game by storm and the Sky High being the undisputed trendsetter in the scene, the transformed Dunk High would be a perfect fit for a Doernbecher energy boost, don’t you think? Women have been flocking to the Sky High without hesitation, so a Sky High Doernbecher could be the sleeper mega-hit of the entire collection – but we’ll have to wait and see.
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Nike Air Max 1 Doernbecher
Believe it or not, the ubiquitous Air Max 1 has yet to partake in the Doernbecher Freestyle. Air Max 1 fans would love for this connection to go down, because despite the hundreds upon hundreds of color-combos that hit stores every year, Air Max 1 riders are never fully satisfied. Give it a glowing outsole, some reflective panels, some safari print, or some dope insoles – it’ll be a instant pick-up once it becomes available.
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