Along with six new sneakers designed by Doernbecher Children’s Hospital patients, Nike is adding something special to the mix for this year’s 20th anniversary collection.
To mark 20 years of Doernbecher Freestyle, 20 pairs of the Air Jordan 20 have been redesigned by the brand’s retired vice president of special projects in Nike Innovation, Mark Smith.
Smith, who helped create the laser-etched graphics of the original Air Jordan 20 in 2005 along with other iconic shoes including the “Laser” Air Jordan 4 and Air Force 1s, was tapped by Nike for the 20th anniversary project.
Like the details on the original Air Jordan 20, which included more than 200 symbols related to Michael Jordan and the brand, the “Doernbecher Freestyle” version has been covered in references to every previous Doernbecher designer.
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In total, 112 different patients are represented on the Air Jordan 20’s lasered strap, liner, heel and matching wooden box.
“I went back to the original graphic on the AJ 20,” Smith said in a press release. “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.”
While the “Doernbecher Freestyle” graphics are mapped in a similarly erratic collage, there are some deliberate inclusions. Each child’s initials are featured on the straps. Two of the hospital’s therapy dogs, Davis and Casey, are also referenced, along with a post-surgery sweet teat: popsicles.
Nike says that Smith created 12 different versions of the pattern with varying layouts and fonts before landing on the final design.
“Shoes transform into something else with Freestyle,” Smith said. “I don’t know how to describe it. The moment a child sees a vision for their own shoe become a real object, they’re instantly transported from the uncertainty of their situation into the literal healing energy of creativity.”
All proceeds from the Sotheby’s Air Jordan 20 “Doernbecher Freestyle” auction will benefit the Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. The auctions begin Monday Oct. 21 at 9 a.m. PT and end Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 9 a.m. PT.
20 individually numbered pairs are available in sizes 7 through 15. Sotheby’s estimates the shoes will sell for around $2,000. Readers can register to bid here.
