Nike unveils 'Back to Future' shoe

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Published Friday September 9, 2011

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Nike is going back to the future.

The sneaker maker on Thursday said it has created a limited-edition shoe based on a glowing pair that appeared in the popular 1989 movie "Back to the Future II." The 2011 Nike Mag is designed to be an exact replica of the fictional sneaker, including a glowing Nike name on the strap. But unlike the movie version, these shoes won't lace themselves.

Nike will release 1,500 pairs of the 2011 Nike Mag sneaker for auction on eBay and donate all proceeds to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's disease research. Fox played Marty McFly in the "Back to the Future" time-travel trilogy, where he wore the shoes during a visit to the year 2015.

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All proceed for the shoes go directly to Michael J. Fox Foundation, to help battle Parkinson's Disease. The Air Mag is the first rechargeable footwear from Nike were designed as an identical replica to the originals seen in the Back to the Future II ...

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Nike has made 1500 pairs of the retro-futuristic shoes, which it will auction off via eBay, 150 pairs a day for ten days, with proceeds going towards The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's disease research. Fox supports the venture, saying, ...

Behind the laces: A closer look at Marty McFly's 2011 Nike Mag

Los Angeles Times, September 16, 2011 | 3:05 pm

But unless you're a hardcore "Back to the Future" fan and/or over-the-top sneakerhead, there's probably a good deal you don't know about the origins of what many have (until now) dubbed the "greatest shoe never made."

How Nike ended up in "Back to the Future Part II"

Tinker Hatfield credits Nike's global director of entertainment marketing for "arranging the marriage." "I think we found out about it about a month before we came down here to meet with Amblin [Entertainment], and at that point the script was still being written. At that meeting, we were asked to imagine what the future looked like -- especially the footwear of the future. We knew a little bit about the idea behind magnetic levitation -- hence the name Nike Mag. Discussions after that focused on ways to make the shoe 'come alive,' which resulted in the idea of them being self-lacing."

The inspiration for that paint-flecked sole

"It's called Zolatone, and it was used a lot in the the ‘60s but had a lot of resonance in the’80s," Hatfield said. "You’d see it on things like the interiors of Airstream trailers."

This initiative from Nike is amazing and it all benefits MJFF's research efforts.

If you want to follow this auction (today is the last day of the 10 day auction) go to www.ebay.com (the shoe auction is on ebay's home page). It is too early to tell but it looks like this shoe auction will raise over $5 million for research--$10 million(!) when you consider the vast majority of these donations will qualify for a match from the Brin Wojcicki Challenge currently underway. Plus, the increase in awareness has been remarkable--if measured by traffic to the MJF.org site or the number of new facebook fans, etc. All from folks we would never connect with otherwise.

This was all Nike...a shoe 23 years in making. An investment of millions on their part to produce and market these shoes to maximize contributions (mostly by sneakerheads and BTTF fans who are buying as collector items). They produced a fun little video and you might have seen Michael J. Fox on Letterman last week introducing the shoe.

We are truly grateful that PD research is the beneficiary of this extraordinary passion and generosity.

Go to www.back4thefuture.com to see more.

Great stuff

Debi

I wish we could have found out about the worldwide auction sooner. I found it in the news yesterday and yesterday was when the auctions were held!!

http://nikemag.ebay.com/shoes

Debi

Make your own Back to the Future Nike Mag with Lego pieces

Juan Martinez, Nike Examiner, September 19, 2011

Last night was the last chance to pick up the "Back to the Future" Nike Mag, one of the most sought-after shoes in the company's history. With ending prices that ranged from $37,500 for the very first pair to as low as $2,500 for those who got lucky, it was an amazing ten days that benefitted the Michael J. Fox Foundation, a charity for Parkinson's Disease Research.

Marty McFly's Back To The Future Shoe Auction Raised $5.7 Million For Parkinson's Disease Research

Sep. 20, 2011, 12:59 PM

Nike, eBay and the Michael J. Fox Foundation raised nearly $5.7 million auctioning 1,500 pairs of the much discussed, highly sought after shoes resembling those worn by Marty McFly in Back to the Future II.