Back For the Future

NEW YORK, November 11, 2011 “” The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) today announced that Nike’s total funds raised for the Foundation, generated by the 10-day eBay auction of 1,500 pairs of limited edition 2011 NIKE MAG shoes, topped $4.7 million. The funds will go straight to the Foundation’s aggressive research programs to help speed a cure for Parkinson’s disease.

Not only did the release of the 2011 NIKE MAG shoes generate a remarkable sum for Parkinson’s research, it also brought the critical unmet medical need in Parkinson’s disease to the attention of new audiences. On the first day of the auction, the Foundation’s Website (www.michaeljfox.org) experienced a greater than 1300-percent increase in traffic over the same day in 2010. Over the course of the 10-day auction, the Foundation’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/michaeljfoxfoundation) added almost 10,000 new fans.

Through the $50-million Brin Wojcicki Challenge, effective through 2012, the proceeds of the auctions will be doubled “” bringing the total funds generated to $9.4 million. The Challenge was announced earlier this year and is made possible by the leadership of longtime Foundation friends Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, and his wife, Anne Wojcicki, co-founder of personal genetics company 23andMe.

“The enthusiasm this project ignited, and the funds and awareness the shoes generated for Parkinson’s research, are both humbling and inspiring,” said Fox. “Our Foundation is truly grateful to Nike for this unique partnership that brought Back to the Future fans, sneakerheads and the PD community together in the quest to eradicate Parkinson’s from the space-time continuum.”

Appearing on “The Late Show with David Letterman” on September 8, Fox revealed the 2011 NIKE MAGs to the world, officially kicking off the eBay Fashion Vault auctions that closed on September 18. The shoe was an exact replica of the originals he wore as Marty McFly in Back to the Future II, down to the contours of the upper, the glowing LED panel and the electroluminescent “NIKE” in the strap.

“We are thankful to the communities and individuals who showed their support to Michael and his Foundation,” says Mark Parker, Nike CEO. “We hope their actions will have a lasting impact on the Foundation’s goal to end Parkinson’s disease.”

The much-anticipated release of the “greatest shoe never made” sparked a whirlwind of excitement spanning the globe with the unveil of a “˜Lost Scene’ created to honor the original Back to the Future films and characters. The episode has been viewed over 2.9 million times on YouTube to date.

At the 2011 NIKE MAG launch party in Los Angeles, British rapper and avid sneaker collector Tinie Tempah won the distinction of owning the first pair of the 2011 NIKE MAG with his $37,500 bid at live auction. The unprecedented fervor continued throughout the online auctions and beyond, with an average selling price per pair of $3,600. An additional 10 pairs were sold at live auctions, from Paris to Tokyo. Christopher Lloyd, who reprised his beloved role in the Back to the Future “˜Lost Episode,’ donated his own pair of NIKE MAG shoes back to the cause, autographing the box for good measure. Mr. Lloyd’s shoes drew $13,500 for Parkinson’s research at a live auction event held September 17 at NikeTown New York. Combined, the live and online auctions raised a total of $4.7 million, which reflects all final settled transactions, authenticated by eBay and Nike.

Fox concluded, “Creating a future without Parkinson’s requires the involvement of many. Thanks to Nike and everyone who took part in this incredible event, our ranks have grown exponentially.”

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In this episode of Kevin Durant’s 35th Hour, get an inside glimpse at one of Kevin’s recent trips to Los Angeles where he watched high school prospects perform at the Elite 24 in Venice Beach and shot a Nike commercial for the “Back for the Future” initiative.

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BEAVERTON, Ore. (September 9, 2011) ““ Nike today announced that 1500 pairs of the mythical 2011 NIKE MAG shoes will be auctioned on eBay, nikemag.eBay.com, with all net proceeds going directly to The Michael J. Fox Foundation.

“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,” said Michael J. Fox. “With their support we can accelerate our objective of finding a cure for Parkinson’s.”

The NIKE MAG shoes originally captured the imagination of audiences in Back to the Future II, when the character Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, wore them in the year 2015. Nike has been urged to release the shoes for many years. Leading up to the release of the 2011 NIKE MAG, a generous 50 million dollar match grant was given to the Michael J. Fox Foundation by Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki. They will match all donations to the foundation, up to 50 million dollars, through the end of 2012. The timing seemed perfect to bring the 2011 NIKE MAG back to support a bigger idea.

“We wanted to translate the excitement people have for the “˜greatest shoe never made’ and for the Back to the Future into positive action,” said Mark Parker, Nike CEO, who was on the Back to the Future II set in 1988 when Fox donned the original NIKE MAG shoes. “But the long-term objective is to raise awareness so the Foundation can achieve their goal of eradicating Parkinson’s disease.”

When the original Back to the Future creative team learned of Nike’s desire to support Fox’s foundation with the release of the 2011 NIKE MAG shoes, Executive Producer Frank Marshall joined the effort. A concept was hatched to develop a “˜Lost Scene’ to honor the original Back to the Future films and characters, capturing Doc Brown’s efforts to make Marty “˜fit in’ during his visit to 2015.

Original cast members Christopher Lloyd and Donald Fullilove reprise their beloved roles and actor Bill Hader and basketball star Kevin Durant join the Back to the Future legacy as store clerk and customer. The sales manager is played by original NIKE MAG designer and Vice President of Design at Nike, Tinker Hatfield, who also oversaw the development of the 2011 NIKE MAG shoe. Hatfield indifferently informs Lloyd he has landed in the wrong year and the power lacing NIKE MAG shoes he is seeking for Marty McFly won’t be available until 2015. The film was created in collaboration with Wieden + Kennedy and features :60, :90 and two-minute versions.

The first rechargeable footwear from Nike, the 2011 NIKE MAG shoes were designed to be precise replicas of the originals from Back to the Future II. The aesthetic is an exact match, down to the contours of the upper, the glowing LED panel and the electroluminescent NIKE in the strap. The only deviation from the original is additional foam support in the ankle and toe box for increased comfort. The 2011 NIKE MAG illuminates with the pinch of the “ear” of the high top, glowing for five hours per charge.

Nike has donated 1500 pairs of the 2011 NIKE MAG shoes to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research, which will be available on eBay at nikemag.eBay.com. Each day for the duration of the ten-day auction, one hundred and fifty pairs of the 2011 NIKE MAG shoes will be made available via eBay’s Fashion Vault, a differentiated platform for select designer and branded fashion events. The auction starts today and will end September 18. In addition, the shoes are listed using eBay Giving Works, the company’s innovative online philanthropy program that enables millions of people to easily connect with and donate to organizations they care about. The auction is managed by Auction Cause for the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

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