Thomas Won 
The Doernbecher Freestyle will hit its fifth year of collaboration with Nike with this seasons collection of shoes. Since 2003, Nike has selected 5 patients annually from Doernbecher Children’s Hospital to design their very own sneakers. You might remember last year’s freestyle collection contained a special Air Jordan 2 designed by Sheridan Brenton. This year, 16-year-old Tony Taylor Jr. aka Mr. Boober, a Nephrotic Syndrome and a kidney transplant survivor, got the chance to design his very own Air Jordan 1 sneaker. This was a dream for Tony, as he is an avid Air Jordan collector.
With the help of Jordan designers Jayson Mayden and Estelle Maranan, he was able to put together a work of art that was inspired by his life experiences. The black/blue color scheme represents his success with the battle against kidney disease, while the contrasting yellow and number 15 honor his favorite player, Carmelo Anthony. Below the number 15 is the date he received his kidney transplant and below that are four stars which represent his high school’s mascot, the Generals. The palm trees along the midsole resemble the Bahamas. This sneaker, along with four other shoes designed by Doernbecher patients will release on November 14th. Via Sole Collector
