Ranking The 10 Best Nike Doernbecher Freestyle Collections

Since 2004, Nike’s partnership with the Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children's Hospital has been a boon for the facility and its patients. Tapping the kids to design limited edition versions of Nike and Jordan Brand sneakers, Doernbecher has raised tens of millions of dollars to help fund critical research and bring financial support to parents who are in need of assistance. The sneakers have also become staples of the culture, as each year brings forth a new collection that unlocks the creative potential of the sneakers because they are being seen not through the lens of Nike’s design team, which have decades of knowledge and experience, but through kids who just want to make what they think will be a cool-looking shoe.

Storytelling is an industry buzzword that oftentimes results in a simple slap of the logo on an already existing sneaker. Every single pair that is a part of the Doernbecher Freestyle Collection is anything but that. These sneakers tell the life stories of their respective designers in ways that just wouldn’t be possible for an adult to replicate. Kids don’t worry about silly little things like licensing agreements, colors that don’t perfectly sync up with each other, or adding tchotchkes that make them look more like toys and less like commercial products that need to be sold to the maximum possible audience. Sometimes these stories are playful and uplifting, while others remind us of the hardships they have faced head-on with a smile on their face and a strength that is unshakable.

All of this is to say that ranking these sneakers is really hard. It’s not about which sneaker was the best or commands the most on the resale market or is hyped to the moon, but more about the impact they had on the culture. And instead of pitting individual sneakers against each other, we are going to be ranking them by the years to highlight every kid from their respective groups like it was an F1 podium. Yes, it matters who wins but just being on the podium is an accomplishment unto itself.

10 - 2025 (Air Jordan 17, Nike Air Max Plus, Nike Vomero Plus)

Dropping later this week, the 2025 Doernbecher Freestyle Collection cracks the list thanks to a combination of perfect timing and a solid slate of sneakers that are peaking at the right time. Zach Rumbaugh’s Air Jordan 17 is dropping right as people are feeling a wave of nostalgia for the Wizards-era silhouette with a luxury car feel that arguably makes them a top 10 pair already. Sergio Cano Marquez’s Air Max Plus is a mash-up of his many interests all put together in a mismatched pair that can only be described as chaotic fun. Molly Bell’s Vomero Plus tells us the story of her love for the great outdoors that comes complete with a field notes booklet, magnifying glass, and her touching advocacy for people with autism.

9 - 2016 (Air Jordan 7, Nike Kyrie 2, Nike Air Max Zero)

Kids tend to have multiple dissimilar interests all at once, which explains how Damien Phillips’ Air Jordan 7 is a merging of his love for guitars, outer space, and basketball. Andy Grass chose to honor the people in his life for his Nike Kyrie 2 piece, including nods to his basketball and baseball teams, his mother, his late aunt, and a few words of inspiration on the midfoot strap like “Grass Strong” and “Trust God.” For his Air Max Zero design, Chase Swearingen showed love for his favorite team the Seattle Seahawks while also highlighting his battle with Hydrocephalus where excess cerebrospinal fluid builds up in the brain's ventricles.

8 - 2007 (Air Jordan 2, Nike Air Max 95, Nike Air Zoom Miler)

Sheridan Brenton made sneaker history when he became the first child to design an Air Jordan for the Freestyle Collection, a reflection of his journey to recover from a horrific car accident. Featuring a design that Captain America would be proud to rock alongside his vibranium shield, Mike Armstrong honored his brother who served in Iraq and highlighted his love of the outdoors, fast cars, and his own battles throughout the upper of the Air Max 95. As for the hidden gem Nike Air Zoom Miler runner, Roma Ugarte wanted to express her love of ballet and dance through her sneakers and now we’re wondering if we can get a retro of these along with the Air Jordan 2 since Armstrong’s Air Max 95 got a reissue in 2013.

7 - 2015 (Air Jordan 13, Nike Air Max 95, Nike SB Stefan Janoski)

As part of his battle with Crohn’s disease, ten-year-old John Charles wanted to send a message that he wants to stomp out the illness with his strength and courage and his medications. A super hero in his own right, Bionic Boy’s (real name: Jacob Burris) Air Max 95 features a Spider-Man-inspired reflective circuitry throughout the upper that has to be seen to truly admire it and an endorsement from the legend Stan Lee as his signature can be found on the shoe’s tooling. Not to be outdone, DC Comics was also a part of the 2015 collection as Isaiah Grubb’s Nike SB Stefan Janoski featured a hidden Batman symbol that was only visible via a flash from a camera or special lighting.

6 - 2017 (Air Jordan 12, Nike Air Max More Uptempo, Nike Air Vapormax)

Fuzzy was the theme for Carissa Navarro’s Air Jordan 12 and it came in the form of a suede upper, hits of pink throughout the midsole and tooling, and nods to her dog Max and her twin sister Savannah. Aspiring comic book creator Brody Miller was brought his alter ego Generator Man to life with one of the more eye-catching Doernbecher sneakers ever made, a Nike Air Max More Uptempo that switches the iconic “AIR” lettering to “BPM” which represents “beats per minute” but also Brody’s initials. The Seattle Seahawks are once again represented via the Nike Air Vapormax with the colors of the team present on Andrew Merydith’s pair that also shows off his love of BMX bikes and his close-knit family.

5 - 2009 (Air Jordan 6, Nike Skinny Dunk High, Nike Air Force 1)

Featuring a stunning wraparound navy blue suede upper with dates that symbolize the first and last dates of his chemotherapy, Jordan Dark’s take on the Air Jordan 6 was like opening sneakerheads’ eyes to what was previously thought impossible with the normally simplistic silhouette. Hooper Makayla Hansen showed her love for the game with a textured overlay that simulates the feel of a basketball and an upper adorned with multicolored basketballs. Animals and motorcycles were part of Bradley Bowlby’s inspiration for the Nike Air Force 1 Low ‘07 with graphics of his two interests on the side panels and a drawing of a bike traveling across the sneaker’s midsole.

4 - 2023 (Nike Zoom Vomero 5, Air Jordan 3, Nike Air Foamposite One)

Jaren Heacock shook up everybody’s Nike retro runner at the time with a Vomero 5 that features modular elements like removable patches and coding hints to show off his love of tech and robotics. Meanwhile, Hugo "Juice" Covarrubias Molina became the latest to show love to the Seattle Seahawks with his Air Jordan 3 that has slime green dripping from the top to represent his swag. Klamath Tribal member Coley Miller paid homage to her Native American heritage and her mother who donated her kidney with a beautiful interpretation of the Nike Air Foamposite One that represents the times when she would be stargazing with her mom.

3 - 2013 (Air Jordan 5, Air Jordan 10, Nike Air Foamposite One)

Released posthumously, Isaac Azrate’s beautiful Air Jordan 5 is a bitter reminder of the realities and struggles that these children face as they put themselves out there for the world to see their creativity. Years before Nigel Sylvester would bring some fresh energy to Jordan Brand with his Bike Air collabs, Daniel Pena brought his love of BMX bikes to the Air Jordan 10 along with his other interests such as video games and heroes like Michael Jordan. LeBron James and the Miami Heat earned Elijah Diggins support, and he showed that love back with his Nike Air Foamposite One in red and black, the Japanese character for “Courage” and a chain link design on the insoles that represent a gift from his parents before he underwent chemotherapy to battle leukemia.

2 - 2010 (Air Jordan 3, Nike Zoom Vomero 5, Nike Air Force 1)

A release so popular it got a retro only three years after they first dropped, Cole Johanson’s red Air Jordan 3 manages to straddle the line of a sneaker that works both as a general release and as a special collaboration because the hints to Cole are very subtle and easy to miss if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Clare Logue’s dreams of becoming a rodeo queen could be found on her Nike Zoom Vomero 5 design with the unique cowgirl aesthetic that Nike would be wise to revisit in the future as the Vomero 5 continues to roll along in 2026. If you’re a fan of the show Entourage, you might be inclined to believe then 11-year old Tony Signorelli designed his Air Force 1 with the fictional Fukijamas in mind as it has some of the same laser cut and opulent elements, not to mention Tony dreamed of becoming an actor at the time.

1 - 2011 (Air Jordan 4, Nike Air Max 95, Nike Skinny Dunk Hi)

Arguably the most popular Doernbecher Air Jordan is courtesy of Isaiah Scott thanks to its colorful hits and laser cut elements - including his own silhouette - atop the usual black nubuck upper and the playful nod to Superman on the tongue patch. Following in Mike Armstrong’s footsteps is Daniel Bair’s Nike Air Max 95 that also opts for the patriotic themes and the words “Be Brave” written across the upper as he battled with Astrocytoma, a type of brain tumor. To celebrate beating leukemia twice, Warang McManus left the phrase “Twice Survived/Twice Conquered” on her Nike Skinny Dunk Hi that also features her Pacific Islander and Irish heritage and her love of whales. She passed in 2016, but her memory and those in the program will live on forever through the gifts they left behind.

Juan Martinez

From video game journalism to veteran of the sneaker blog era to podcasting about well, everything, Juan is smiling through it all and can't believe this is his life. After recently getting into Formula 1, he now has hot takes about who the greatest driver of all time is. Email: juan@soleretriever.com