Nike revives Back to the Future 2's Mag sneakers for charity
updated 09:15 pm EDT, Thu September 8, 2011
2011 Nike Mag to go in 1,500-pair charity auction
Nike after a quick teaser has fulfilled geek dreams by making a production version of Marty McFly's sneakers from Back to the Future 2. Now called the 2011 Nike Mag (link ready soon), the hi-tops are a near-exact replica of the ones Michael J Fox's character wore. Practicality prevents them from auto-tying the laces like in the movie, but they use electroluminescence to light up with a pinch and will stay lit for five hours on a battery charge.
At least initially, the shoes will only be available through an eBay auction (linked above). About 1,500 of the pairs will be sold, starting from 11:30PM Eastern on Thursday and running until 10 days later. All of the net proceeds will go towards the Michael J. Fox Foundation to help find a cure for Parkinson's Disease. Nike is promising that all of the donations will be matched and double whatever the final bids contribute.
Nike hasn't said if it will put the Mag into regular production, but it might be gauging interest from the auction.
McFly's shoes have become a cult favorite as they, along with the hoverboard and other technology from BTTF2, represented a fantastical but possibly attainable vision of the future. A few elements of the movie, such as games you don't need touch controls to play or 3D projections, have become real in a limited way.
