The concept behind the pair of Nike Air Mag self-lacing sneakers was first introduced in the iconic movie Back to the Future 2 (directed by Robert Zemeckis). It took a few years on from the 1989 movie for the concept to become a reality. The shoes were fashioned into reality by sports manufacturer Nike in 2016.
The novel shoes were sold in June 2017 for $52,500. This established a new record for a collectible sneaker at a public auction (the previous record was $32,500). The Air Mags were part of a first-time auction by the company Heritage Auctions, where a collection called The Future is Now was put up for sale. The collection focused on a mix of rare pop culture items, urban art objects, sneakers and various types of “street art.”
Other items that went for relatively high amounts were:
Futura 2000’s Untitled, a large-scale work with spray paint and acrylic on canvas (sold for $35,000);
Two separate Damien Hirst hand-drawn skateboard decks Dots 5 – Skull and Dots 5 – Little Shark, each of which sold for $12,500;
A silkscreen print on t-shirt Andy Warhol titled Self-Portrait with Fright Wig, circa 1986 which was sold for $12,500.
Other items up for grabs by collectors included surfboards and skateboard decks. In all 151 items went up for sale. In communication to Digital Journal, Leon Benrimon, Director of Modern and Contemporary Art at Heritage Auctions, enthused: “This auction was a successful first step to bring together a number of different themes and objects. Collectors were excited to see their passions displayed on a public stage, giving them a platform and a voice. As a result, we saw a record number of page views on ha.com, amazing press coverage and the foot traffic at the Beverly Hills office during the preview leading up to the auction was amazing.”
At the end of the process a new bar has been set to the selling of sneakers. It’s unlikely any other sports shoe will break the record, given the high regard that the Back to the Future movies continue to be held in.
