Stefan Janoski’s Nike SB models have been part of the Nike Doernbecher Freestyle for several years now. As part of the collection’s 2022 offerings, the skate-ready silhouette has been revisioned by Catalina Vazquez, a 16-year-old from Kelso, Wash. diagnosed with Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome.
For years, the Washingtonian has longed to visit the Galápagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador, a wish that has set her apart from other 16-year-old girls she’s met. Her interest in the isolated locale inspired her interpretation of Janoski’s beloved silhouette: hand-drawn flowers, butter graphics and a vibrant blue tone across the upper reflect Vazquez’s love for nature. Like butterflies, she’s gone through a lot of changes, having been diagnosed with the tumor and cyst-causing syndrome at just three days old.
In addition to nods to the Galápagos Islands, the Nike SB Stefan Janoski “Doernbecher Freestyle” features a D.N.A. helix around the heel; midsoles don messaging from the V.H.L Alliance: “The cure is in our genes.” Together, each aforementioned component captures some of the things that’ve motivated Vazquez to keep pushing throughout her extremely difficult journey with Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, an experience she hasn’t allowed to thwart her creativity and love for life. Currently, she aspires to become an equine massage therapist.
Enjoy official images of Catalina Vazquez’s design ahead, as you wait for official release details to be shared by the brand.
For more from under the NIKE, Inc. umbrella, check out the Air Jordan 1 Mid‘s upcoming releases.
Nike SB Stefan Janoski “Doernbecher”
Release Date: 2022
Color: N/AWomens: N/A
Style Code: DR6258-100
