BEAVERTON, Ore.– Nike today announced that 1500 pairs of the mythical 2011 Nike MAG shoes will be auctioned on eBay, Nikemag.eBay.com, with all net proceeds going directly to The Michael J. Fox Foundation.
“This project is exciting to me because it brings together three very passionate audiences: the Parkinson’s community, sneakerheads and Back to the Future fans,” said Michael J. Fox. “With their support we can accelerate our objective of finding a cure for Parkinson’s.”
The Nike MAG shoes originally captured the imagination of audiences in Back to the Future II, when the character Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, wore them in the year 2015. Nike has been urged to release the shoes for many years. In May 2011, a generous 50 million dollar match grant was given to The Michael J. Fox Foundation by Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki. They will match up to 50 million dollars raised by the Foundation through the end of 2012. The timing was perfect to bring the 2011 Nike MAG back to support a bigger idea.
“We wanted to translate the excitement people have for the ‘greatest shoe never made’ and for Back to the Future into positive action,” said Mark Parker, Nike CEO, who was on the Back to the Future IIset in 1988 when Fox donned the original Nike MAG shoes. “But the long-term objective is to raise awareness to help the Foundation achieve their goal of eradicating Parkinson’s disease.”
When the original Back to the Future creative team learned of Nike’s desire to support Fox’s foundation with the release of the 2011 Nike MAG shoes, Executive Producer Frank Marshall joined the effort. A concept was hatched to develop a ‘Lost Scene’ to honor the original Back to the Future films and characters, capturing Doc Brown’s efforts to make Marty ‘fit in’ during his visit to 2015.
Original cast members Christopher Lloyd and Donald Fullilove reprise their beloved roles and actor Bill Hader and basketball star Kevin Durant join the Back to the Future legacy as store clerk and customer. The sales manager is played by original Nike MAG designer and Vice President of Design at Nike, Tinker Hatfield, who also oversaw the development of the 2011 Nike MAG shoe. Hatfield indifferently informs Lloyd he has landed in the wrong year and the power lacing Nike MAG shoes he is seeking for Marty McFly won’t be available until 2015. The film was created in collaboration with Wieden + Kennedy and features :60, :90 and two-minute versions.
The first rechargeable footwear from Nike, the 2011 Nike MAG shoes were designed to be precise replicas of the originals from Back to the Future II. The aesthetic is an exact match, down to the contours of the upper, the glowing LED panel and the electroluminescent NIKE in the strap. The only deviation from the original is additional foam support in the ankle and toe box for increased comfort. The 2011 Nike MAG illuminates with the pinch of the “ear” of the high top, glowing for five hours per charge.
1500 pairs of the 2011 Nike MAG shoes will be available at Nikemag.eBay.com. Each day for the duration of the ten-day auction, one hundred and fifty pairs of the 2011 Nike MAG shoes will be made available via eBay’s Fashion Vault, a differentiated destination for exclusive, limited-time fashion events from select designers and brands. The auction starts today and will end September 18. In addition, the shoes are listed using eBay Giving Works, the company’s innovative online philanthropy program that enables millions of people to easily connect with and donate to organizations they care about.
About Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc., based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly-owned Nike subsidiaries include Cole Haan, which designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats; Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories; and Umbro Ltd., a leading United Kingdom-based global football (soccer) brand. For more information, visit www.Nikebiz.com/investors.
About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
As the world’s largest private funder of Parkinson’s research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for Parkinson’s disease and improved therapies for those living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active global engagement of scientists, Parkinson’s patients, business leaders, clinical trial participants, donors and volunteers. In addition to funding over $260 million in research to date, the Foundation has fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at the hub of worldwide Parkinson’s research, the Foundation forges groundbreaking collaborations with industry leaders, academic scientists and government research funders; increases the flow of participants into Parkinson’s disease clinical trials with its personalized online tool, Fox Trial Finder; promotes Parkinson’s awareness through high-profile advocacy, events and outreach; and coordinates the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world. Now through December 31, 2012, all new, returning and increased giving to The Michael J. Fox Foundation will be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis with the $50-million Brin Wojcicki Challenge, launched by Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki.
About eBay Inc. and eBay Fashion
Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) is about connecting buyers and sellers. We do so through eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace, which allows users to buy and sell on eBay platforms in nearly every country on earth; through PayPal, which enables individuals and businesses to securely, easily and quickly send and receive online payments; and through GSI Commerce, which facilitates ecommerce, multichannel retailing and digital marketing for global enterprises. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.
eBay Fashion is a dedicated destination for fashion on eBay, delivering an inspired, interactive shopping experience. With more than 20 million daily listings, eBay Fashion surfaces an unparalleled selection of new, designer and brand name clothing, shoes and accessories at incredible value. The eBay Fashion Vault platform offers exclusive, limited time sales direct from designers and brands and the eBay Fashion iPhone app lets shoppers browse, buy and virtually try on items from the millions of fashion listings—anytime, anywhere. For more, visit fashion.ebay.com, and to join the conversation, go to www.facebook.com/eBayFashion or follow @eBay_Fashion.