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Rory McIlroy to wear shoes designed by cancer-impacted kids

The world's No. 1 golfer always gets plenty of attention, but this week he may get a few extra looks for a new reason.

Rory McIlroy will be rocking a different pair of brightly colored Nike Lunar Control 3 golf shoes each day of the Irish Open, all designed by children whose lives have been impacted by cancer.

The Rory Foundation, which was established to give kids support they may need through a variety of children’s charities, teamed up with Nike and the Cancer Fund for Children in Northern Ireland, and held a contest to design Rory's shoes for the week.

And the kids came through in a big way, constructing some of the most distinctively unique color combinations ever seen on a golf shoe, even offering some insight into the design.

“It says ‘Be You’ on my Nike shoes because that’s all you ever should be - yourself," said 13-year-old Alex Kernaghan, designer of the Sunday shoe, whose father recently passed away from cancer. "I also added in a bit of blue as it’s my dad’s favorite color and yellow to represent the charity."

The other winners of the contest were Sara Lockhart, 12, Ryan Keenan, 16, and Chloe Hyndman, 15, all of whose mothers are currently battling cancer.

Here's a closer look at the shoes McIlroy will be lacing up at the Irish Open:

Check out more information on the special shoes over at Nike News, complete with a breakdown of each from McIlroy himself.
Check out more information on the special shoes over at Nike News, complete with a breakdown of each from McIlroy himself.

“I’m delighted that the young people associated with the Cancer Fund for Children got to design my shoes,” said McIlroy. “The shoes are really unique with some crazy designs. The Irish Open is going to be a very special event for golf and my Foundation and I am excited to compete in them this week.”

All of the unique NIKEiD Lunar Control 3 designs can be purchased on NIKEiD.com, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting The Rory Foundation.

Check out more information on the special shoes over at Nike News, complete with a breakdown of each from McIlroy himself.

- Golf Channel, NBC Sports