"Back to the Future" Shoes

"Back to the Future" Shoes are identical copies of the futuristic shoes worn by Marty McFly in Back to the Future II.^[1] Michael J. Fox starred as Marty McFly in the Back to the Future trilogy. The shoes were featured in his quest to 2015. A limited quantity of 1,500 pairs were auctioned on eBay and proceeds are currently being dedicated to the The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's disease research. ^[2] The price of the shoes increased as the demand increased.^[3] They started off at $0.99 and reached prices of $3000 or greater.^[4]

The Shoes

Michael J. Fox in 1988

The, soon to be, "Back to the Future" trilogy had began to generate a lot a buzz due to the box office success. In 1989, Nike designer Tinker Hatfield was asked to create a shoe for the second chapter of the series. The shoes feature an electroluminescent out-sole, space age materials, and a rechargeable internal battery good for 3,000 hours. Nike has gone on record saying Mag is not meant for heavy activity and should not be worn for recreational purposes. Over 15 years later, an online petition that asked for the return of the shoes caught the attention of Tinker Hatfield. With the help of footwear innovator Tiffany Beers, they began to build the Nike MAG from scratch. They worked on the shoes for approximately six years and had to restart about three times. After thousands of hours of work, the shoes were a perfect replica of the 2015 Nike MAG worn by Marty McFly. They are the first rechargeable pair of footwear by Nike.^[5]

The shoes were placed on the market for auction from September 8th through September 18th with 150 pairs being auctioned on eBay each day. Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, and his wife Anne Wojcicki have agreed to match all donations of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, up to $50 million through the end of 2012.^[6]

Parkinson's Disease

Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1991 on the set of Doc Hollywood. He felt a "little twitch" in his left finger while working. Over time, the disease began to worsen to the point where his entire left side was stiff and full of tremors. He was then unable to work at times and felt very stiff and tired. He one said things became so bad that he couldnt "pick up and operate his TV remote control".^[7]

Michael J. Fox Foundation

The Michael J. Fox Foundation is a group dedicated to the study of Parkinson's Disease. Their mission is to find a cure to Parkinson's Disease through funded research and to improve therapy for those living with the illness.^[8]

References

1. ^ "Back to the Future Shoes". TOXEL.COM. September 8, 2011. http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2011/09/08/back-to-the-future-shoes/. Retrieved October 14, 2011. 
2. ^ Skidmore, Sarah. "'Back To The Future' Shoes To Be Released By Nike". Huff Post Los Angeles. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc.. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/08/back-to-the-future-shoes-_n_954836.html. Retrieved October 14, 2011. 
3. ^ "Back to the Future Shoe Sales". aucmarket.com. October 27, 2011. http://aucmarket.com/product/2011NikeMagLimitedEdition.php. 
4. ^ Billington, Alex (September 8, 2011). "Nike MAG 'Back to the Future II' Shoes Being Auctioned Off on Ebay". FirstShowing.Net. First Showing LLC. http://www.firstshowing.net/2011/nike-mag-back-to-the-future-ii-shoes-being-auctioned-off-on-ebay/. Retrieved October 14, 2011. 
5. ^ "The Nike MAG". NIKE, INC.. http://www.back4thefuture.com/#!shoe. Retrieved October 14, 2011. 
6. ^ "'Back to the Future' Nike MAG to hit EBay, fight Parkinson's disease [Video]". Los Angeles Times. September 8, 2011. 
7. ^ "Michael J. Fox Has Parkinson Disease". MedicineNet.com. MedicineNet, Inc. http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=7579. Retrieved October 14, 2011. 
8. ^ "About Us". The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. http://www.michaeljfox.org/about.cfm. Retrieved 2011-10-14.