Bandana Fever

Nike and OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital are uniting for the sixth year to create the Doernbecher Freestyle footwear collection, which pairs young patients with Nike designers to raise money for Oregon’s premier children’s hospital.  The young Doernbecher patients work alongside Nike designers to create footwear that expresses their personal stories, while raising awareness and funds for the hospital. To date the program has raised more than $2 million dollars. All profits from the collection benefit Doernbecher by supporting advanced pediatric research, providing healthcare to uninsured patients, funding the purchase of state-of-the-art medical equipment, and training the next generation of pediatric specialists.

“We are proud to support this one-of-a-kind project,” said Elliott Hill, Vice President of Global Retail for NIKE, Inc. “Doernbecher Freestyle is about empowerment through design, bringing together bright young patients and some of our most talented Nike designers to give back to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.”

The young designers range in age from 11 to 14 and all have courageously battled serious illness at Doernbecher. Through the Doernbecher Freestyle Project each child is given the unique opportunity to design a pair of Nike’s and is granted complete artistic freedom as he or she works alongside a Nike designer through the entire design process — from selecting a shoe style to choosing materials, colors, patterns and other individual details.

“We are so grateful for Nike’s continued vision and generosity. In the six years of the Freestyle program, the company’s hard work has translated into more than $2 million for Doernbecher,” said Sue Nicol, Executive Director of the Doernbecher Foundation. “Apart from the significant financial impact, Nike is providing a priceless experience for some really brave kids. Their moment in the spotlight as a Nike shoe designer is one they’ll never forget.”

The Doernbecher Freestyle collection will be available for purchase at Niketown stores, nike.com, and at select Nike retailers beginning November 14, 2009. This year’s collection features popular basketball, running and skateboarding styles, including a retro Nike Air Jordan VI.

The 2009 Doernbecher Freestyle Design Team and Footwear Collection:

• Bradley Bowlby, 11, (Stevenson, Washington): Nike Air Force I Low
  Bradley’s desire to get dirty in style is reflected with a custom camouflage design featured on the outsole and upper.
• Collin Callsen, 11, (Stayton, Oregon): Nike P-ROD 3 Skate Shoe
  Collin’s playful attitude comes through with a personalized logo at the bottom of the shoe’s tongue and fun graphics on the upper inspired by his love of hunting, dirt bikes, skulls and playing pool.
• Jordan Dark, 12, (Mt. Angel, Oregon): Nike Air Jordan VI Retro
  Jordan’s creativity comes to life in this shoe that takes inspiration from the Jordan 12, 5, 9 and 6, a play on his birth date of 12-5-1996.
• Anna Finley, 11, (Salem, Oregon): Nike Air Max Zenyth
  Anna’s vivid imagination and love of color is highlighted in this multi-colored shoe with hand-drawn balloons, animals, trees, hearts and music notes.
• Makayla Hansen, 12, (Elgin, Oregon): Nike Skinny Dunk High
  Makayla’s love for playing basketball and riding her bike is clear with a multi-colored basketball design on the upper and five bikes waiting to be discovered under the ankle support straps.
• Molly Anne Modeste Martin, 14, (Lake Oswego, Oregon): Nike Shox NZ
  Molly’s colorful Nike Shox design incorporates symbols of her life’s passions and beliefs—a silhouette of herself running track, a basketball hidden under the top eyelet, a music note, and “Just Do It” embroidered on the back of one heel and “Together” on the other.

To find the location of your nearest Nike retailer or purchase the Doernbecher Freestyle Collection directly, visit www.nike.com. Suggested Retail prices start from $88.

Rocker Eddie Van Halen is taking Nike bosses to court amid allegations they copied his signature black, red and white guitar design for a new range of sneakers.

The Van Halen frontman filed a federal lawsuit in a Los Angeles court last Friday, accusing brand executives of copyright infringement in regards to their Dunk Lows line of tennis shoes.

Van Halen, who is suing via his company ELVH Inc., claims Nike designers failed to ask his permission to use the streak pattern which has featured on his electric guitars since 1978 and was trademarked in 2001. The legal papers allege the sports brand’s shoes are doing “irreparable harm and damage” to his colorful design.

Van Halen is seeking general and punitive damages for the infringement, in addition to profits made to date from the Dunk Lows. And he’s demanding Nike cease all production on the shoes – calling for “the impoundment and destruction of all footwear”.

Van Halen actually has his own range of sneakers, which he designed with manufacturers Converse.