John Kim 
One could view the underlying message behind the Nike x Doernbecher Freestyle as “Look beyond the surface and see what’s underneath”. The six children chosen for this year’s Doernbecher Freestyle not only stared down the face of their obstacles, but conveyed their messages proudly in their sneakers; Daniel Blair, the designer behind the Air Max 95, says he’s “Just like everyone else.”, while Warang McManus defiantly turns her back on her disease and proudly states “Twice survived”. Like any piece of treasured art hanging in a museum, each of the hand-selected colorways and details of the Nike x Doernbecher Freestyle VIII tells a personal tale; what makes the six sneakers shown here particularly special is that they all tell one of triumph and victory. Continue reading for a detailed look at all six installments of the Nike x Doernbecher Freestyle 2011 and let us know which of these ‘stories’ resonates with you, and look out for a release of the collection starting on November 5th.
