This year marks the 10th anniversary of Nike/Doernbecher Freestyle, a powerful partnership between Nike and OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. To celebrate this important milestone, Nike is rereleasing five Freestyle fan favorites in the weeks leading up to this year’s unveiling.
The first 10th anniversary special edition shoe is Mike Armstrong’s limited edition Air Max 95, available Saturday, July 6, at nikestore.com and in select Nike retail locations across the United States (visit Nike.Insider.com).
At age 16, Mike participated in the 2007 Doernbecher Freestyle program while recovering from heart valve replacement surgery. With a brother in Iraq and a huge patriotic streak, he had no trouble picking the theme for his signature Air Max 95. To this day, his stars-and-stripes custom shoe remains a bestseller.
Mike, now 22, is still going strong. He holds a degree in automotive technology and spends his free time enjoying the great outdoors and building very fast cars, either for racing or cruising Vancouver, Wash. Mike says his favorite memory from the Freestyle program was participating in the design process and getting a behind-the-scenes look at how the unique shoes are made.
Mike’s kicks include personal elements to illustrate his story including:
- Personal logo, with a heart, cross and wings on the tongue of his shoe
- Colors representing his love of the United States of America – red, white and blue
- EKG heartbeat running down the center of the tongue
- Graphic on the sole depicting Mike’s heart surgery
- Lasered words around the shoe that chronicle Mike’s life
Fifty-two shoes have been designed since Nike/Doernbecher Freestyle first launched in 2004, and they are as unique as the kids who designed them. OHSU Doernbecher and Nike have raised more than $5 million through the sale of limited-edition Nike shoes designed by OHSU Doernbecher patients.
Nike Doernbecher Freestyle X will take place Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Portland Art Museum. Proceeds from the event and all Freestyle X Collection sales will benefit OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.
Ashley Schmidt
Associate Director of Development
OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital Foundation
