So here it is - the post you knew was coming. I wanted to avoid posting the exact same thing that everyone and their moms is posting - but let's be honest, it would just be the huge elephant in the room (like 2DopeBoyz still refusing to acknowledge the existence of Tyler the Creator) - and I don't want to lose any credibility here.
So by now - you know that Nike released the Nike Air Mag (the shoes featured in the Back II The Future movie) - here is why it matters:
1) The movie series is a classic - and not a single shoe, real or fictional, has had sneaker-heads petition Nike to release them over the years like this.
2) They are designed by Tinker Hatfield, who I think is the most acclaimed shoe-designer of all time (yes, I'm biased). Tinker ran track for Bill Bowerman (founder of Nike) while at Oregon studying Architecture, and after his stint in the architecture world, went on to design the Air Max 1, The Air Jordan Series (3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,20, and 23), The first Zoom Lebron, the Nike Air Presto, and of course the Huarache, among many more.
3) Nike is releasing the shoe in 2011, rather than 2015 (the year they were set to release in the #BTTF movie). Why? Oh, because each of the 1,500 pairs manufactured are being sold with proceeds benefiting the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons disease (did I mention that Sergey Brin [Founder of Google] offered to match all donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation up to $50 million through the end of next year?).
4) This is going to be the most competitive (and news-covered) shoe release of all time. Nike is releasing 150 pairs a day for 10 days and putting them up for auction on Ebay. For this gig, you aren't just competing against Hypebeasts and Sneakerheads - you also need to fend of the Back II The Future obsessed, in addition to Michael J. Fox/Family Tie fans, and let's face it, art collectors. After day 1, no pair went for less than $4k - and I expect that to be the trend.
Check out the auctions here, and more pictures of the 2011 Nike Air Mag after the jump.
Photo's via High Snobiety, Nike, The Hundreds, and Nice Kicks.
