It's really happening: Nike is at last releasing the Nike Mag, its power-lacing sneaker from Back to the Future Part II. The Marty McFly footwear was announced on Tuesday, with Nike rolling out a page for the shoes here and a detailed FAQ breaking down the nuances of the release. Rather than running eBay charity auctions like they did for the 2011 pairs, Nike is using a modified version of its The Draw system to basically raffle off 84 of the 89 Nike Mags that are available.
Nike+ users can buy tickets for The Draw at $10 each here. Users are allowed to buy as many tickets as they want, and all of the proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Tickets are available from now until Oct. 11 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
After Nike closes ticket sales, it will randomly choose winners to receive pairs of the Nike Mag.
The shoes are available in limited sizing, with sizes 7, 9, 11, and 13 available. Nike recommends sizing up for those who are between sizes.
There's much more to know about this super-limited release of one of the most anticipated Nike sneakers of all time. Scroll down to get educated on the Nike Mag and better your chances at getting a pair.
It's really happening: Nike is at last releasing the Nike Mag, its power-lacing sneaker from Back to the Future Part II. The Marty McFly footwear was announced on Tuesday, with Nike rolling out a page for the shoes here and a detailed FAQ breaking down the nuances of the release. Rather than running eBay charity auctions like they did for the 2011 pairs, Nike is using a modified version of its The Draw system to basically raffle off 84 of the 89 Nike Mags that are available.
Nike+ users can buy tickets for The Draw at $10 each here. Users are allowed to buy as many tickets as they want, and all of the proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Tickets are available from now until Oct. 11 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
After Nike closes ticket sales, it will randomly choose winners to receive pairs of the Nike Mag.
The shoes are available in limited sizing, with sizes 7, 9, 11, and 13 available. Nike recommends sizing up for those who are between sizes.
There's much more to know about this super-limited release of one of the most anticipated Nike sneakers of all time. Scroll down to get educated on the Nike Mag and better your chances at getting a pair.
Winners Will Get Their Pairs This Month
You can buy tickets for the 2016 Nike Mag from now until Oct. 11 at 11:59 a.m. EST. Winners will be notified on Oct. 17 via email, phone, or Nike+ notification. According to Nike, winners can expect to receive the shoes five days after the winners are announced, meaning the shoes should arrive right around the Oct. 21 date from Back to the Future Part II.
The Charity Raffle Is Only Available in the U.S. and Canada
International customers are being left out of this release for the most part. Nike says that the system it's using to release the shoes is only available for residents in the U.S. and Canada (except for Quebec). Why the regional exclusivity? Here's Nike's explanation: "Due to individual country regulations governing the manufacture, distribution and/or sale of products containing batteries and other electronic components (i.e. chargers), sales and shipments for this auction will be available to those in the United States and Canada."
There Are Auctions for the Sneakers, Too
There are 89 pairs of Nike Mags available, 84 of which will be raffled through The Draw. Others will be auctioned off by Nike and the Michael J. Fox Foundation in Hong Kong, London, and New York City.
You Can Actually Enter to Win a Pair for Free
There's a strange clause on Nike's FAQ page for the Mags explaining that you can enter to win a pair totally free of charge. It reads:
"You can enter The Draw without a donation by submitting an official entry, linked within the official rules, and mailing it to RallyUp for verification. Entries must be postmarked no later than October 11, 2016 and received October 14, 2016. You may mail-in only once for any particular shoe size drawing and you will receive entries equal to the average number of entries received by those who make donations for the shoe size drawing you specified. If you wish to enter additional drawings for different shoe sizes, you must send a separate mailer for each additional drawing. If the average number of entries by donation is not a whole number, your average will be rounded up to the next whole number."
That's right, you can avoid paying any money and still have an average chance at winning the shoes. What's more, with this approach you can mail in once per shoe size and give yourself an average chance at winning each of the four sizes offered. That being said, this free entry method is sort of a scumbag move as it totally swerves around Nike's goal of raising money with this special shoe.
Readers can find the official entry form here for a free entry.
Remember, It's All for Charity
Ultimately the 2016 Nike Mag is a sneaker for a good cause. Even if you lose, you still win by virtue of having donated money to a worthy endeavor: aiding the Michael J. Fox Foundation's efforts to find a cure for Parkinson's. While many will feel frustrated with Nike after missing out on the shoes, those people would do well to remember the great lengths the sportswear company has gone to—all the planning and marketing dollars spent—for a project that raises money not for the brand, but for charity.