Heavy.

September 8, 2011 6:53 PM

The Nike Mag (the automatic lacing shoe from the 1989 film Back to the Future II) is here. Marty Mc, err, Michael J. Fox will appear on the David Letterman show tonight, as all of the proceeds from sales are going to Parkinson's research.

The founder of Nicekicks.com got called at midnight and given an invitation package, then a few hours ago the shoe was unveiled. 1500 pairs (150 a day for 10 days) will be available on ebay starting at 8:30 pacific. Previously, and Previously.

posted by cashman (40 comments total)

But does it automatically lace up?!
posted by ColdChef at 6:56 PM on September 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

Man, I hope they make a ton of money, but that is the most hideous looking shoe I've ever seen.
posted by scunning at 7:00 PM on September 8, 2011

Well, joke's on me. I thought the video swirling around the internet today was just (another) fan-homage of some sort to the shoe. Cute.

(on preview, oh god the press package was incredible though)
posted by cavalier at 7:01 PM on September 8, 2011

Pepsi Shoe?
posted by Confess, Fletch at 7:03 PM on September 8, 2011 [5 favorites]

Great Scott!
posted by 2bucksplus at 7:04 PM on September 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

But does it actually self-lace?? And yes, it is hideous looking, but so hideous looking that it passes fully out of the realm of hideous and into the realm of awesome.
posted by zardoz at 7:06 PM on September 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

How many times do I have to watch the video to see it "self lace"? 'cuz, without that, it's not that much different than those kids shoes that light up when they walk.
posted by tomswift at 7:07 PM on September 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

If Michael J. Fox starts a thing where he debuts items from Back to the Future II that can be auctioned off to raise money for Parkinson's research, then the world will be a significantly better place.

Ball's in your court, skateboard/hovercraft manufacturers.
posted by mcmile at 7:09 PM on September 8, 2011 [23 favorites]

No, it doesn't self-lace

that comes in 2015
posted by 2bucksplus at 7:09 PM on September 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

Aw, c'mon. Mass-produce these and sell them to everybody. Do the charity auction first if you must, but these shouldn't be a one-time thing.
posted by kafziel at 7:14 PM on September 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

Wait, so is it OK to like Nike even though there's that whole sweatshop thing? I want EVERYTHING from Back to the Future II, but I don't want to sell more of my pathetic soul to get it.
posted by alex_skazat at 7:16 PM on September 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

So it vibrates?
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 7:17 PM on September 8, 2011

Bells and whistles and (apparently no) shoelaces.
What part of the proceeds goes to feeding the shoe factory serfs?
posted by obscurator at 7:19 PM on September 8, 2011

Set aside a few pairs for everyone who bought a DeLorean. Anyone else? Anyone?
posted by bicyclefish at 7:39 PM on September 8, 2011

No power laces? Sigh. I guess elastic is a bit more practical, so I'll give them that.

But they don't come in a big plastic tube gym bag thing with windows on the ends, do they? There is absolutely no excuse for that. None.
posted by Sys Rq at 7:41 PM on September 8, 2011

Your turn, Pizza Hut.
posted by Sys Rq at 7:42 PM on September 8, 2011 [11 favorites]

I welcome a future where shoes self-lace, where the possibility of self-lacing shoes is first explored in a movie, where the reality of self-lacing shoes is examined on a late-night talk show, and where self-lacing shoes become a major contributor in the fight against Parkinson's.

The present is weirder than the past, and we're never coming back from the future.
posted by twoleftfeet at 7:49 PM on September 8, 2011 [5 favorites]

Yeah... this doesn't look like it's a Hoverboard at all.
posted by Navelgazer at 7:58 PM on September 8, 2011 [4 favorites]

This sales tactic reminds me of the Nike Massacre at the beginning of Jennifer Government.
posted by infinitewindow at 8:01 PM on September 8, 2011 [3 favorites]

These look like the space boots you'd have to wear to operate the hoverboard
posted by FireballForever at 8:06 PM on September 8, 2011

As someone who spent a significant amount of time strutting around Atlanta carrying my own Hoverboard* this past weekend, I approve of this venture.

*as I explained to interested parties: yes, it does hover, but only for about 1/4th of a second before crashing to the ground and breaking.
posted by ShutterBun at 8:13 PM on September 8, 2011

What part of the proceeds goes to feeding the shoe factory serfs?

$0.40
posted by Big_B at 8:16 PM on September 8, 2011

I saw Michael J Fox in the florists the other day; he had his back to the fuchsias.
posted by Abiezer at 8:43 PM on September 8, 2011 [13 favorites]

Well, of course. Why pay attention to the fuchsias when the problem is orchids? Something has got to be done about orchids!
posted by No-sword at 8:56 PM on September 8, 2011 [15 favorites]

New (unlisted) video with Kevin Durant, Bill Hader and Christopher Lloyd - says the auto-lacing version will be out in 2015. Also there's a new URL - back4thefuture.com
posted by cashman at 9:08 PM on September 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

very cool shoe.

thanks for sharing.
posted by raymorphic at 9:29 PM on September 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

I saw Michael J Fox in the florists the other day; he had his back to the fuchsias.

But what about... THE LILIES!
posted by ShutterBun at 9:48 PM on September 8, 2011

I saw Michael J Fox in the florists the other day; he had his back to the fuchsias.

Yeah, but that was after he had a roll in poison ivy.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:08 PM on September 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

Yeah, but that was after he had a roll in poison ivy.

No, no, you're thinking of Tom Skerritt. (and it's spelled "role")
posted by ShutterBun at 10:53 PM on September 8, 2011

I think you're missing the double entendre.
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 12:11 AM on September 9, 2011

(swings net above head wildly, desperately trying to catch flower related jokes)
posted by cavalier at 12:54 AM on September 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

I heard he wanted to buy some fritillarias. Erm.





Frighteners. I'm trying to reference the film The Frighteners.
(I suck at this game)
posted by seanyboy at 12:55 AM on September 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

it's not that much different than those kids shoes that light up when they walk.

But the lights swirl all around it!
posted by krinklyfig at 2:24 AM on September 9, 2011

What about the self-adjusting jacket? What do we do if our sleeves are too long?
posted by blue_beetle at 4:50 AM on September 9, 2011

JACKET IS... DRY
posted by grubi at 7:09 AM on September 9, 2011 [2 favorites]

I like the swirly atmospheric stitch-motif graphics and accompanying practical lighting in the intro video.
posted by bz at 8:08 AM on September 9, 2011

It doesn't self lace?

You mean... You have to use your hands? That's like a baby's game.
posted by PostIronyIsNotaMyth at 8:58 AM on September 9, 2011 [4 favorites]

Stupid 3-D movies, a major league baseball team in Miami, and now these shoes?

BACK TO THE FUTURE IS NOW
posted by grubi at 10:19 AM on September 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

I wonder, is there a term for "new technology intended to 'catch up' with previous fantastical predictions about the future"?

Much like Kennedy's speech about putting a man on the moon before the decade was out, it seems like certain predictions from movies seem to spur inventors to achieve goals by the stated deadline. I recall that when the year 2001 finally arrived, there was a certain disappointment that commercial flights to the moon (via Pan Am, no less!) weren't available yet, but things like video phone booths, voice recognition, computer chess, etc. were around.

With regard to things like "Dick Tracy's 2-way T.V. wristwatch", and the fact that we now have things like "Facetime" which is pretty much the same thing, it strikes me as a case of "we have to invent this, not because people want it, but because it's what our ancestors and our younger selves *expected* the future to be like."
posted by ShutterBun at 9:14 PM on September 9, 2011

(that being said, I would very happily pay $39,999.95 to hover-convert our Delorean)
posted by ShutterBun at 9:15 PM on September 9, 2011