“Not until 2015,” said one of the employees in the original announcement that introduced the first round of Nike Mag sneakers in September 2011. Four years later, Nike kept its word: the prototype pair of Nike Mags with power laces is a reality, and I think there is no one more qualified on the face of the Earth than Michael J. Fox himself to try them on first.
Did you really think I wouldn't say anything about this? Hell would freeze over if I let what happened yesterday pass. That's right, ladies and gentlemen: Yesterday was October 21, 2015, the day Marty McFly, his girlfriend Jennifer, and Doc Brown arrived “in the future.” The future they saw taught us many wonders, and while some of them never materialized (such as the Mr. Fusion or the double-necktie shirts), others made notable progress, including flying cars and the ever-desired hoverboard. Even Pepsi had trouble meeting the demand for Pepsi Perfect on this unique and unrepeatable date, a fact fans made known with that virulence that can only be found on the Web. However, the one who did manage to meet expectations (up to a point) is Nike: They promised the Nike Mag with power laces, and here they are.
This video from the Michael J. Fox Foundation's YouTube channel was shared and streamed across social media hundreds of thousands of times, and truth be told, it carries a certain sense of justice. The absence of power laces in the first round of shoes Nike auctioned left a bitter aftertaste, but now… that noise. Admittedly, the laces don't tighten as fast as we saw in the movie, but I think I could spend hours sitting adjusting and loosening the laces just to hear that noise. From what we can see in the video, the Nike Mags activate when you apply a bit of pressure on the heel, and they come with a couple of buttons to further adjust the laces or control the lights.
Good News and Bad News
The Nike Mag party is almost perfect… but we have good and bad news. We'll start with the bad: We have to wait until next year to buy a pair, and once again, they will be a limited edition, so there will be thousands of users battling in auctions, and final prices will surely be crazy. The good news is that all the money from sales will go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation to continue the fight against Parkinson's.
A DIY Alternative
If you feel you can't wait or think money will be an issue, don't worry: The DIY world has tried to recreate the Nike Mags in its own way, and this tutorial on Instructables definitely deserves your attention.
