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Michael J. Fox has teamed up with Nike to launch some extremely futuristic sneekers, The 2011 Nike MAGs, to raise funds for his Parkinson’s charity. Tinie Tempah and Kid Cudi did their bit, splashing the cash to get hold of theirs at auction.
Developers have worked tirelessly for the last four years to bring the space-age footwear to life, and the outcome: exact replicas of Marty McFly’s hi-tops from Back to the Future II. 1500 limited edition pairs will be made available throughout Sept on Ebay.
Fashion conscious celebs have been clamouring for these must have collector’s item and the bidding online has been furious. Auctions have surpassed all expectations, with some reaching figures as high $37,000. This type of dollar amount would have average citizens taking out a business cash advance, but for the likes of Kid Cudi and Tine Tempah it was an easy investment in a good cause.
Tinie Tempah used the line “[I] can’t afford a pair of trainers” in his track Wonderman. Well times have changed for the British rapper as he secured himself a pair of these infamous kicks with a bid of £24,000 at a charity auction in LA. Kid Cudi is reported to have broke the bank having purchased five pairs!
Features include a complex electrical power system to feed the LED panels and “electroluminescent” Nike insignia in the strap. Built for day-to-day use, they are durable and have a battery life of up to five hours.
They even have a charging point and can be plugged into any household socket; but as yet designers have been unable to develop the self-tying technology fans marveled at in the films. Might have to wait until 2015 for that.
Fox, who has been fighting his own personal battle with Parkinson’s for a number of years, has lauded the initiative and expressed his gratitude to the hardcore Back to the Future fans and anyone who has donated so far, saying:
“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. With their support we can accelerate our objective of finding a cure for Parkinson’s.”
Whatever sum is raised through sales is then going to be doubled, after Google’s Sergey Brin and his wife Anne Wojcicki promised to match any bid, pound for pound.