Nike Air Max 95 Doernbecher by Jacob Burris

by Brennan Hiro Williams

Buy Now: Nike

Jacob Burris is a real life superhero. On the outside, the 14-year-old loves doing normal things: hitting the baseball field, playing the drums, and spending time with his pet hamster. On the inside, though, Jacob's heart is kept pumping through technology. A Dacron tube graft holds Jacob's aorta together, a necessity caused by an an aortic coarctation. This condition has earned Jacob the nickname, 'The Bionic Boy.'

Given the chance to design his own Nike Air Max 95 for this year's Doernbecher Freestyle Collection, Jacob decided to give us all a public service announcement, implementing details on the shoe meant to remind everybody to check their blood pressure. 

'High blood pressure was the only symptom I had and if it had gone undetected I could have died,' Jacob explains. 'That’s why I want everyone to get their blood pressure checked.'

'The Bionic Boy' nickname is represented by the sneaker's circuit-board graphics, while Spider-Man, Jacob's favorite comic book hero, inspires the color scheme. Spider-Man's legendary creator Stan Lee even lent his signature to a pair that will be auctioned off for the Doernbecher Hospital. 

Jacob's own thumbprint marks the heel and outsole, while his motto, 'I WALK TO MY OWN BEAT' appears on the sockliner and his apparel. 

“I walk to my own beat and so does my heart,” Jacob confirms.

The 2015 Doernbecher Freestyle Collection, including Jacob's special Nike Air Max 95 Premium, will release on Saturday, November 21 at nike.com and select Nike retailers, with proceeds from sales benefiting OHSU Doernbecher.