• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Arts & Entertainment

Back to the Future’s coolest invention is now a reality

By
Michal Addady
Michal Addady
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Michal Addady
Michal Addady
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 21, 2015, 5:14 PM ET
CHILE-US-CINEMA-BACK TO THE FUTURE
Picture of a replica of the sneakers that actor Michael J. Fox used in the movie "Back to the Future'' in 1985, being displayed during an anniversary event at the Fashion Museum in Santiago on October 21, 2015 -- the exact date in the future that Fox's Marty McFly travelled to in a souped-up DeLorean fitted with a flux capacitor in the second part of the blockbuster trilogy. Fans of the series are marking Wednesday's landmark date by celebrating some of the predictions that came true in the futuristic saga -- and some that didn't. The films follow the time-travelling adventures of young Marty, a teenager living in small-town America in 1985 played by Michael J. Fox. He sets out in a DeLorean car converted to voyage the space-time continuum by his eccentric inventor friend Doc Brown. AFP PHOTO / MARTIN BERNETTI (Photo credit should read MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP/Getty Images)Photograph by Martin Bernetti — AFP/Getty Images

Self-lacing shoes are here. Nike is finally making the famous sneakers and gave its first pair of Mag shoes to none other than the star of Back to the Future, Michael J. Fox.

Self-lacing Nikes were one of the futuristic inventions that Marty McFly, Fox’s character, discovered when he time traveled to this date — October 21, 2015 — in the 1989 sequel. Nike came out with a pair of sneakers in 2011 that were similar to those that Marty wore in the film, but without the self-lacing technology.

But even though it’s not yet available to the public, the movie wasn’t exactly wrong in its prediction. Today, Michael J. Fox received the first pair of self-lacing Nike Mag shoes. The Michael J. Fox Foundation tweeted a picture of him wearing the shoes, adding that they will be available to the public in the spring of 2016.

This is real. This is today. Coming spring 2016. cc: @RealMikeFox @Nike pic.twitter.com/KPswXNojvA

— michaeljfox.org (@MichaelJFoxOrg) October 21, 2015

In a letter to the actor, Tinker Hatfield, the shoe designer, stated that proceeds from the sale of the upcoming Nike Mag shoes will be donated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s, a disease that Fox lives with. The company donated proceeds from the 2011 Nike Mag replicas as well, and was able to raise $9.7 million. Hatfield writes that he hopes to raise even more next year.

The letter I received from Tinker today. Thanks @Nike pic.twitter.com/UIolXrkUVC

— Michael J. Fox (@realmikefox) October 21, 2015

About the Author
By Michal Addady
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

kamala
PoliticsElections
Kamala Harris says she’s ‘thinking about’ running for president again: ‘I’ll keep you posted’
By Steve Peoples, Matt Brown and The Associated PressApril 10, 2026
22 hours ago
takaichi
Arts & EntertainmentJapan
Japan’s Prime Minister welcomes Deep Purple, capping 50-year love affair with heavy metal: ‘You’re my god’
By Mari Yamaguchi and The Associated PressApril 10, 2026
24 hours ago
gen z
Arts & EntertainmentChina
Seeking to save Gen Z from foreign influence, China has quietly banned K-Pop for a full decade
By Ken Moritsugu, Juwon Park and The Associated PressApril 10, 2026
24 hours ago
Patrick Ball
SuccessCareers
‘I thought I was gonna die with it’: ‘The Pitt’ star admits his $80,000 student loan burden nearly made him quit acting and move to a remote Alaskan village
By Preston ForeApril 10, 2026
1 day ago
Eva Longoria secretly worked as a headhunter from her soap opera dressing room for three years—because she refused to be a ‘struggling actor’
SuccessThe Promotion Playbook
Eva Longoria secretly worked as a headhunter from her soap opera dressing room for three years—because she refused to be a ‘struggling actor’
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 10, 2026
1 day ago
One fan secretly recorded 10,000 concerts over 40 years. Now volunteers are racing to save the tapes before they disintegrate
Arts & EntertainmentMusic
One fan secretly recorded 10,000 concerts over 40 years. Now volunteers are racing to save the tapes before they disintegrate
By Christopher Weber and The Associated PressApril 8, 2026
3 days ago

Most Popular

Scottie Scheffler joined Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in golf's $100M club—and donated his entire Ryder Cup stipend to charity
Success
Scottie Scheffler joined Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in golf's $100M club—and donated his entire Ryder Cup stipend to charity
By Fortune EditorsApril 10, 2026
1 day ago
Schools across America are quietly admitting that screens in classrooms made students worse off and are reversing years of tech-first policies
Innovation
Schools across America are quietly admitting that screens in classrooms made students worse off and are reversing years of tech-first policies
By Fortune EditorsApril 10, 2026
1 day ago
The Navy confirmed an ‘abundant amount’ of Uncrustables when the Artemis II crew lands. Smucker’s just offered them a lifetime supply
Politics
The Navy confirmed an ‘abundant amount’ of Uncrustables when the Artemis II crew lands. Smucker’s just offered them a lifetime supply
By Fortune EditorsApril 10, 2026
18 hours ago
Mark Cuban admits he made a mistake letting go of the Mavericks: 'I don't regret selling. I regret who I sold to'
Investing
Mark Cuban admits he made a mistake letting go of the Mavericks: 'I don't regret selling. I regret who I sold to'
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
2 days ago
The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
Economy
The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
2 days ago
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
AI
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.