| Michael J Fox demonstrates the trainers |
Nike obviously had the same thought, and has been offering trainers (or sneakers) in the style of the self-lacing ones worn by Marty McFly (Michael J Fox) during his visit to the future - 2015 to be precise - in a charity auction.
Some were offered at live auctions, whilst 1,500 were offered on eBay. The trainers don't actually self-lace as the technology for that is still work-in-progress, but they light up and follow the same design that the screen-worn pair did.
A pair of 'self-lacing' trainers from the film was sold in 2010 for $16,450, though these didn't have the same self-contained lighting as the new versions (a battery pack was required).
Perhaps surprisingly, some of the new trainers did indeed sell for more than the originals. The pair which sold was bought by British rapper Tinie Tempah, a self-confessed Back to the Future buff as well as a man who pays attention to his footwear.
Tempah paid $37,500 for the trainers - all the more remarkable as he is only 22 and was only born around the time that Back to the Future II, in which they were introduced, was released. He has indicated that he will never wear them, but does intend to have them signed by Michael J Fox.
Likewise a pair of the 2011 Nike MAG shoes were bought by Nagao Kamiyama in Japan. They were the only ones to be offered at a live auction and he paid ¥2.2m (around $28,700) for the privilege.
In total, the sales have raised $5,695,190. But the even better news is that this is set to be doubled, as Google founder Sergey Brin and his wife Anne Wojcicki have offered to match all donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation up to $50m through the end of 2012.
