Nike wants you to look as fly as Marty McFly, while also supporting a good cause.
The retailer is launching a limited edition of its Nike Mag sneakers from the 1989 film “Back To The Future Part II,” with full auto-lace capability just like McFly’s pair in the classic movie. The shoes operate using a technology called adaptive fit that senses the presence of a foot and tightens or loosens as necessary, creating an individually responsive system. Only 89 pairs will be available through an online raffle, and an unlimited number of tickets in the form of $10 donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation to aid Parkinson’s Disease research can be purchased by signing into a Nike+ account online or on the app.
As with any marketing move with a nostalgia factor, people are tweeting about it. Some are excited, others are upset that there are only 89 pairs available, and only in North America.
I just helped the fight against Parkinson’s. The future is now. https://t.co/kmZYjkCz7l #NikeMag
— Jay Wehrer (@nolawehrer) October 4, 2016
Not even gonna waste my time with that Nike air mag raffle @nikestore. Only 89 pairs 😩
— Return of the Mack (@KMPOV5) October 4, 2016
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Hold up. Is the @Nike Mag draw just in the US and Canada?
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Ad position: web_incontent_pos2This makes me sad, but I hope they raise so much money to fight Parkinsons. #Mags
— Gar (@alunsbrother) October 4, 2016
According to Brandwatch, Nike Mag has been mentioned 16,000 times on Twitter over the past 48 hours, with the majority of the mentions occurring after this morning’s announcement and a spike of more than 4,300 mentions happening between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. EST. There’s even a custom emoji for the shoes and a #NikeMag hashtag, which has been used in more than 10,000 tweets. Kellan Terry, senior data analyst at Brandwatch, said the discussion is 70 percent positive, with negative chatter primarily focused on the unlikely chance of winning.
“You’d naturally expect to see a positive conversation around an announcement like this that allows people the opportunity to score some very rare shoes,” Terry said. “When you factor in that donations are going to a charitable cause, positive mentions will accumulate quickly.”
The revitalization of classic 80s apparel comes on the heels of Reebok’s April limited edition collection of Alien Stompers shoes worn by Sigourney Weaver’s character Ellen Ripley in the 1986 film “Aliens.” The release was timed on “Alien Day,” or 4/26 in accordance with the name of the planet where the alien invaders hailed from, LV-426, and Reebok offered only 426 pairs that sold out immediately. They are now available for nearly $800 on eBay.
The Alien Stompers also received their fair share of criticism for its limited release and for only offering men’s sizes for a shoe worn by Ripley, one of the most iconic female heroines in the science fiction canon.
Nike Mag similarly offers only men’s sizes, specifically 7, 9, 11 and 13, noting that “due to the adaptive lacing technology, if you are between these sizes, please select the next size up.” According to Brandwatch data, the conversation about the Nike Mag is largely male driven, with men comprising 82.7 percent of mentions.
Ripley was the one who taught me ladies can be badass and now I can’t even wear her shoes because only men can wear em @Reebok #alienday426
— dogs should vote (@flightofmagpie) April 26, 2016
Fox, who starred as McFly, started the Michael J. Fox Foundation to help fight the disease that he’s battled since 1991. In 2011, Nike partnered with the group to auction off a similar version of the shoe, which raised $10 million in 10 days, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to fund research initiatives, according to Nike.
Raffle drawings will begin today through October 11, and winners will be notified on October 17.
