Nike Made Specialized Sneakers for College QB After Amputation

The TCU Horned Frogs bested the USC Trojans in the 2025 Alamo Bowl on Tuesday night. TCU’s 30-27 overtime win was led by quarterback Ken Seals, who completed 29 of 40 passes and racked up a total of 258 passing yards. But the night also served as a touching moment to pay respect to former Horned Frogs quarterback Bram Kohlhausen, who led TCU to a record-setting 2016 Alamo Bowl win in his first and only start. 

Kohlhausen’s life was forever altered following a May 2023 helicopter accident during a hunting trip in San Antonio. The fall required Kohlhausen to have both feet amputated and in February, he regained his ability to walk thanks to prosthetics. His inspirational story was highlighted Tuesday, when he was named TCU’s Honorary Captain and laced up a special, one-of-a-kind pair of sneakers.

Conceptualized by Tobie Hatfield, senior director of athlete innovation at Nike, Kohlhausen’s custom Air Jordan 1 Low Golf shoes were created in partnership with Miles Custom Studio, who decked the shoes out with logos and symbolism referencing the athlete’s recovery. 

Hatfield carefully engineered the shoe to accommodate Kohlhausen’s prosthetics on the golf course. According to Nike, Hatfield studied Kohlhausen’s golf swing in order to dial in the specific levels of support he needed. The most notable addition is a reinforced toe piece, which is inspired by dancer Ivan Koumaev’s custom Air Jordan 3s and sneaker enthusiasts’ desire to keep their shoes from creasing.

Hatfield’s tenure at Nike has long had an emphasis on accessible footwear, with notable innovations such as EasyOn and HyperBoot on his resumé.

Nike notes that while Kohlhausen is not signed to the company, the sportswear brand recognized his needs and worked with him to get him back on the golf course in style. 

While fans can’t purchase Kohlhausen’s specialized Air Jordan 1 Low Golf shoes, standard versions of the sneaker are available now from nike.com for $155.