Behold the future, ’80s kids. In honor of Back to the Future Day — Oct. 21, 2015, the date Marty McFly time-traveled to in 1989’s Back to the Future II — Nike whipped up a special treat for actor Michael J. Fox: self-tying shoes like the ones Marty McFly wore in the movie.
This is real. This is today. Coming spring 2016. cc: @RealMikeFox @Nike pic.twitter.com/KPswXNojvA
— michaeljfox.org (@MichaelJFoxOrg) October 21, 2015
A spokesman for the athletic company confirmed to ABC that “the first pair of self-lacing Nike Mag shoes is in New York City.” The rep declined to comment further, but Fox offered some more details via Twitter.
After reuniting with his costars Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson on the Today show, the Family Ties alum shared a photo of a letter he’d received from Nike designer and VP for Design and Special Projects Tinker Hatfield Jr.
The letter I received from Tinker today. Thanks @Nike pic.twitter.com/UIolXrkUVC
— Michael J. Fox (@realmikefox) October 21, 2015
“Hey Michael. Almost thirty years ago we embarked on a journey to create a glimpse into ‘the future,'” the letter begins. “Although the project started as science fiction, we’re now proud to turn that fiction into fact.”
Hatfield goes on to note the lasting impact of the Nike Mag shoes, writing, “We may never know its final legacy, but we continue to work on projects that carry and progress some of its principles. As you well know, innovation never stops at Nike, so we’re excited about what lies ahead for this idea. We know if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.”
According to the letter, the company plans to create additional pairs to support the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2016. “We hope that the combined effort will raise even more than the $9.4 million collected in 2011 and contribute in some way to eliminating Parkinson’s disease in our lifetime.”
Other stars have shared photos of Back to the Future-themed shoes via social media — though it’s unclear whether theirs have the self-tying technology. Singer Tom Fletcher — a member of the band McFly, named for Fox’s character in the ’80s film franchise — Instagrammed a pic with the caption, “When you forget to charge your future shoes…”
Actor Lance Gross also posted a shot of the retro-futuristic kicks. “Guess I should light these bad Boyz up today,” he wrote.
