Soccer and Medicine Are Amongst the Inspirations for the Doernbecher Air Jordan XIII

Find Out What Inspired This Year's Doernbecher Air Jordan XIII.

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Complex Original

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Last week, Nike officially unveiled the 2015 Doernbecher Freestyle Collection. Amongst the silhouettes in this year's offerings, the Air Jordan XIII is undoubtedly one of the models that many sneakerheads will be aiming to cop.

Designed by 11 year old John Charles, his vision of the Air Jordan XIII is truly a personal one. Charles, who is currently battling Crohn's - an inflammatory bowel disease - designed his XIIIs to pay tribute to some of his most beloved things including his favorite food, Chicken and Jojos which gets a shoutout on a set of lacetips, an Egyptian pyramid, a nod to the place he'd like to visit most, and his twin brother Jonah and German shepherd Tegan, who both make appearances on the shoe's sockliner. Also, in battling Crohn's, Charles has also discovered that he can swallow seven pills at once which is also represented on the shoe.

A big fan of soccer and the Portland Timbers, the shoe reflects the team's signature colors. But the most meaningful design element is "Crohn's" printed on the shoe's outsole. Charles stated, "when I’m walking, I want to literally stomp out the disease with every step," a statement which is supported by the words "Courage," "Strength," and "Fight," all printed along the shoe's midsole.