I just can't fathom why someone would pay that kind of money for an ugly pair of shoes. What I CAN imagine is the utter disgust and disappointment of the same fans who were "clamoring for such a shoe" when they learned the price and availability.
I disagree with Matt Halfhill of nicekicks.com- this is a publicity stunt, whereas the Jordan Air was a very attainable and practical shoe for the masses. While I commend Nike for donating the proceeds to charity, I think they went about it the wrong way... instead of making 1500 pairs at a ridiculous price, why not make 100,000 pairs, price them affordably, and offer them worldwide? Their fans would be happier, and the profits overall would have been much greater. Surely a shoe with some lights in it isn't that expensive to manufacture... I see toddlers running around in them all the time.
Fans of the hit movie “Back to the Future” are getting a real kick out of Nike’s latest creation.
Boasting an electroluminescent outsole, space-age materials and a 3,000-hour rechargeable battery, the Nike MAG is designed to be an exact replica of the futuristic shoes worn by Michael J. Fox’s character Marty Mcfly. It even lights up, however, some may be disappointed to learn that a pair can end up costing as much as a new car. And even so, the shoes still won’t lace themselves.
- Related: Is time travel possible?
As of Thursday evening, Nike put 1,500 pairs of the limited edition sneakers up for auction on eBay. Prospective buyers have until Sept. 18th, with the bidding battle to snatch up a pair is on pace to reach five figures. All proceeds from the sale will go to the Michael J. Fox foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
The announcement came on the heels of a rumor that Nike was planning to launch a shoe featuring an innovative automated lacing system that the company patented sometime last year. Fans had been clamoring for such a shoe for several years and had even put together an online campaign a few years ago called “McFly 2015, Make it Happen.” The result was thousands of signatures urging Nike to bring the shoe to market. So you can imagine their excitement over the MAG, with some fans going so far as hailing the MAG’s arrival to be nothing short of historic.
“This is the biggest thing that has happened to sneakers since Michael Jordan, hands down,” Matt Halfhill of nicekicks.com told the Associated Press. “Other than the birth of one of my children, I wouldn’t have missed this for anything.”
And for those who had been hoping for a bonafide self-lacing version, you might still get your wish. According to the the FAQ section of the Ebay ad, the vendor representing Nike (AuctionCause) stated that the “power-lace” feature should be available in, you guessed it, 2015. Still, I’m assuming you’d probably have to be the type that has a time-machine capable of predicting the stock market to even considering running around in something this expensive.
Here’s an example of power laces developed by DIY inventor Blake Bevin:
This report has been updated: While an earlier bidding war for a pair of Nike MAG sneakers brought the price to $75,100, that figure has since been re-adjusted. The ad states that only pre-approved buyers are allowed to place a bid.
(via Associated Press)
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