THE POWER OF POSITIVITY

Nine-year-old Bella Stone is spunky. She's ambitious. She's outgoing. And more than anything, she's a miracle. "She wasn't expected to survive when she was born," explained her mom, Jessica. "So we call her miracle baby girl." Twenty surgeries and one brand new kidney later, Bella has certainly lived up to the name. And she plans on defying the odds even more by becoming the world's first combination singer-doctor-actor-dentist. Bella approached the design of her shoe, the Nike x Doernbecher Free 5.0+ Women's Running Shoe, with the same unstoppable energy.

BELLA'S DESIGN

Bella's custom kicks have everything a girl could ever want: pink sparkles, rainbow colors and a big heart with a kidney-shaped accent. (The heart is for Aunt Chrissy; she donated one of her kidneys when Bella was just two years old.) Other sweet details include a "B" surrounded by 20 hearts-one for each of her surgeries performed by Doernbecher experts. The words "Live", "Dream", "Hope" and "Faith" circle the outsole, and an embroidered microphone reflects her passion for music. "I love to sing! I know most of the Broadway musicals by heart," she explained.

BENEFITS

• Ultra-breathable mesh upper for ventilation and comfort
• Dynamic Flywire for lightweight support and a glove-like fit 
• Nike Free flex grooves along the midsole for enhanced range of motion and flexibility
• Waffle outsole pistons for impact absorption and added responsiveness

PRODUCT DETAILS

• Full inner sleeve for a dynamic, sock-like fit and easy on and off
• Asymmetrical lacing system for reduced pressure on the top of the foot
• Nike+ ready

ABOUT THE DOERNBECHER FREESTYLE PROGRAM

Doernbecher Children's Hospital has been helping heal children and families in the Oregon and Washington area since 1926. It's a national leader in research and education and offers a wide range of comprehensive pediatric care. The Doernbecher Freestyle program, a partnership between Nike and Doernbecher, allows a group of special patients who have triumphed over serious illnesses to design authentic Nike shoes. Since the partnership began in 2004, the program has raised more than $6 million. This collection is sold on a limited-edition basis at Niketowns and Nike.com.

NIKE FREE ORIGINS

After learning that Stanford athletes had been training barefoot on the university's golf course, three of Nike's most innovative and creative employees set out to develop a shoe that felt natural and weightless, similar to bare feet. In 2002, they examined a group of men and women with pressure-measuring insoles taped to their feet, using high-speed cameras to capture images of each foot in motion.

The team spent eight years studying the biomechanics of shoeless running. The results yielded a profound understanding of the foot's natural landing angle, pressure and toe position, allowing Nike designers to build an unconventional and flexible running shoe from the inside out.