Anyone who has watched the Back to the Future science fiction movies in the 80’s knows that the movies may have over-exaggerated our futuristic expectations a bit, but that’s not to say that we’re not getting there; slowly.
We may not have streets full of hover cars just yet, but we’re closer than ever to having hoverboards thanks to Lexus, and now, Nike says they’re going to make the self-lacing shoes that Marty McFly wore in Back to the Future II a reality.
Coming in the Spring of 2016, Nike’s upcoming self-lacing shoes have buttons on the side that allow you to adjust the tightness of the shoe laces, ankle, and make fine-tuned adjustments such that the shoe fits your individual foot.
It’s worth mentioning that Nike released a limited edition set of Back to the Future replica shoes dubbed the Nike Mag in 2011, but those shoes were not able to self-lace themselves. The company then said that by 2015, we'd have a self-lacing version, hence, here they are. The new models that Nike is trying to launch next year will not only be replicas from the movie, but will also be fully self-lacing.
"We started creating something for fiction and we turned it into fact, inventing a new technology that will benefit all athletes," Mark Parker, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nike said. "By imagining the future, we create it. Product that comes alive, with on-demand comfort and support when you need, product that senses you and adapts to you is right around the corner."
Michael J. Fox, the actor that played Marty McFly in the popular Back to the Future trilogy, has Parkinson’s disease, which is a disease that affects the nervous system and causes involuntary shaky movements of parts of the body, including the hands. As a result, those with Parkinson’s disease find it difficult to lace their own shoes.
With that being said, you could say that these shoes are a way for those with Parkinson’s disease to easily get their shoes on without much of a struggle. Nike says that some of the income from selling these Back to the Future-like self-lacing shoes will go towards the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which is specifically dedicated to trying to raise money and awareness for finding a cure for the disease.
Below, you can watch a video of Michael J. Fox putting on one of Nike’s self-lacing shoes:
Unfortunately, the new 2015 Nike Mag will not be available to everyone. It will only go up for auction for a select number of people. It's unknown if Nike intends to implement this kind of technology into other types of shoewear, but since these specific shoes are modeled off of the styles of Back to the Future, it only makes sense that they're a limited edition release.
This kind of technology built into more modern styles of shoes, such as the everyday sports shoes, tennis shoes, skate shoes, or even work shoes would be highly beneficial to not only those with Parkinson's disease, but also those with a tight schedule.
Source: Nike
