Oswaldo Jimenez
Age: 11
Diagnosis: Severe pulmonary hypertension
Shoe: Air Jordan 9 Retro

Fierce. Strong. Fearless. Just like a … chicken. Yep, Oswaldo Jimenez has a power animal, and it just happens to be a scrappy pollito, or “little chicken.” He earned the moniker because of his puckish eating habits as a toddler and the name stuck.

Last December, after a series of fainting spells, Oswaldo was given a life-changing diagnosis: severe pulmonary hypertension. The once very active boy now has to be cautious with the amount of energy he exerts. Oswaldo is very close to his family and drew inspiration for his shoe from his Mexican heritage with a little help from his younger brother, Aviram.

Oswaldo’s custom Nike/Doernbecher Freestyle Air Jordan plays up his nickname with a lasered feather patten and fighting chicken graphic on the sockliner, as well as the word “Pollito” on the tongue. He’s so proud of his heritage that he made one outsole red and the other green as a shout-out to his hometown of Queretaro, Mexico.

You will also find some lucky digits: his favorite number, 17, on the back heel and his birthday, Sept. 13, inside the tongue.

The young designer said he had so many ideas, it was hard to narrow them down. But in the end, Oswaldo created a shoe to please the audience that matters most – his family.

“I think sporty kids will like my shoe, especially my little brother,” he explained.  “He’s my number one fan.”

Willow Bacon
Salix Creative