From the archives: The evolution of Nike Air Mag
Department of Nike Archives
Discover the details behind the origins of the futuristic Nike shoe.
In 1989, Universal Pictures released a classic sci-fi film starring Michael J. Fox to widespread acclaim. In the movie, the main character gets a pair of power-lacing sneakers, dubbed the Nike Mag. At the time, the kicks weren't self-lacing, though. During the movie shoot, someone had to crouch in the background and pull strings from behind to give the shoe the appearance of auto-lacing. Decades later, as Nike continued to innovate, the movie inspired the launch of special-edition Nike Mag shoes available to the public.
"The Air Mag gave us a real opportunity to see the futuristic technology and the opportunities Nike had in the '80s moving towards the new millennium", said Robert Williams, senior brand creative sneaker culture and footwear curation. "The Air Mag explored design concepts and ideas that would be incorporated into future Nike products, such as HyperAdapt and Adapt technology. Its one-of-a-kind design mixed with technology sets the standard for collaboration".
Nike initially partnered with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research in 2011 to create the first iteration of the Mag available to the public. Dynamic innovators Tiffany Beers and Tinker Hatfield led the creation of the replica of the shoe from the film. Interest in recreating the shoe came more than 15 years after the movie's release, when 30,000 fans signed online petitions calling for a real-life version of the shoe. This limited-edition release of 1,500 pairs sporting futuristic detailing raised nearly $10 million in 10 days at auction for Parkinson's research.
"Although it initially shared only a few seconds of screen time with Michael, the idea behind the Nike Mag unlocked something much bigger at Nike", Mark Parker, executive chairman of Nike, said. "It sent us down an uncharted path of innovation, but it also opened our eyes to our ability to fight some of the world's biggest challenges. We feel privileged for the opportunity to raise even more awareness for the fight against Parkinson's".
Five years later, Nike continued to innovate in support of Parkinson's disease with the launch of the next version of the Mag in 2016—a limited-edition release of 89 pairs available through an online draw, which raised $6.7 million. Enter "power laces", part of the Adaptive Fit Technology System that utilises digital technology to sense the wearer's motion and adapt accordingly by tightening the laces.
"We started creating something for fiction and we turned it into fact, inventing a new technology that will benefit all athletes", Parker said.
Years later, the Nike Mag—treated like an antique sneaker not to be used for sport—can be found on auction and resale sites, often for tens of thousands of US dollars.
Founded in 2000, The Michael J. Fox Foundation works to accelerate research to find a cure for those living with Parkinson's disease.