The Nike Mag Shoe, Complete with “Adaptive Fit,” to be Released in Partnership with The Michael J. Fox Foundation in Effort to Speed a Cure for Parkinson’s
BEAVERTON, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Almost 30 years ago, Nike inspired a future vision of footwear — an
individually responsive shoe that senses the wearer and adapts on its
own. The Nike Mag, famously worn on the silver screen by Michael J. Fox,
quickly became a cultural icon.
Today, Nike and The Michael J. Fox Foundation proudly announce
the release of the 2016 Nike Mag — a limited-edition release of only
89 pairs available globally through an online draw — to once again
channel the excitement of the Nike Mag to raise awareness in the fight
against Parkinson’s disease and the Foundation’s tireless efforts to
speed a cure.
Nike first partnered with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s
Research in 2011. A version of the shoe was built for the Foundation and
auctioned, raising nearly $10 million in 10 days — 100 percent of which
went to fund critical Parkinson’s research. Last year, Nike realized the
future by hand-delivering the first adaptive Nike Mag shoes to Michael
J. Fox.
“Though it initially shared only a few seconds of screen time with
Michael, the idea behind the Nike Mag unlocked something much bigger at
Nike,” says Mark Parker, Chairman, President and CEO, NIKE, Inc. “It
sent us down an uncharted path of innovation, but it also opened our
eyes to our ability to fight some of the world’s biggest challenges. We
feel privileged for the opportunity to raise even more awareness for the
fight against Parkinson’s.”
Nike took the first step in bringing adaptive footwear into more sports
this spring with the introduction of the Nike HyperAdapt 1.0, a
performance shoe that automatically laces and fits to the unique shape
of each athlete’s foot.
The 2016 Nike Mag combines the archetype invention with new technologies
developed for the HyperAdapt 1.0. The result is an individually
responsive system, called Adaptive Fit, that senses the wearer and
tightens or loosens accordingly.
How to Get the Nike Mag
The 2016 Nike Mag is a limited-edition release of 89 pairs.
The majority of these will be available to residents of the U.S. and
Canada through a digital draw process. Entrance to The Draw is via
nike.com/mag or via the Nike+ App, with each entry granting equal
opportunity to win a pair of the Nike Mag. Tickets are $10 donations to
The Michael J. Fox Foundation. There is no limit to the amount of
tickets that can be obtained per individual— the more tickets, the
greater chance of winning. The Draw will begin on Oct. 4, 2016 and end
Oct. 11, 2016. Winners will be notified Oct. 17, 2016.
One pair of the Nike Mag will also be auctioned live in three places:
Hong Kong on Oct. 11, 2016; London on Oct. 14 and 17; and in New York on
Nov. 12 at The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s benefit gala, “A Funny Thing
Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson’s.”
Harnessing the Energy of the Nike Mag to Help Speed a Cure for
Parkinson’s
Most importantly, 100 percent of the proceeds will go to The Michael J.
Fox Foundation and drive critical research to accelerate development of
a cure for Parkinson’s disease.
One in 100 people over 60 will be diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a
chronic, degenerative brain disease affecting an estimated one million
Americans and five million individuals worldwide (second only to
Alzheimer’s in prevalence). While classified as a movement disorder
whose symptoms typically progress from mild tremors to serious physical
disability, Parkinson’s also gives rise to disabling
non-movement-related symptoms including depression, cognitive
impairment, pain, fatigue and digestive issues. Current treatments mask
some symptoms but lose effectiveness over time and do not slow disease
progression.
Michael J. Fox founded his eponymous Foundation in 2000 after publicly
disclosing that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s at age 29. His
stated goal: Find the cure and close the Foundation’s doors. The
organization today continues working at an urgent pace to identify and
drive the most critical research, and to mobilize the Parkinson’s
research and patient communities to take part in our work and help speed
vital progress toward a future without Parkinson’s disease.
About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
As the world’s largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson’s research, The
Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for
Parkinson’s disease and improved therapies for those living with the
condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an
aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with
active global engagement of scientists, Parkinson’s patients, business
leaders, clinical trial participants, donors and volunteers. In addition
to funding more than $650 million in research to date, the Foundation
has fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure.
Operating at the hub of worldwide Parkinson’s research, the Foundation
forges groundbreaking collaborations with industry leaders, academic
scientists and government research funders; increases the flow of
participants into Parkinson’s disease clinical trials with its online
tool, Fox Trial Finder; promotes Parkinson’s awareness through
high-profile advocacy, events and outreach; and coordinates the
grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world.
For more information, visit us at michaeljfox.org,
on Facebook
or Twitter.
NIKE, Inc., based near Beaverton, Ore., is the world’s leading designer,
marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel,
equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness
activities. Wholly owned NIKE, Inc. subsidiaries include Converse Inc.,
which designs, markets and distributes athletic lifestyle footwear,
apparel and accessories; and Hurley International LLC, which designs,
markets and distributes surf and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and
accessories. For more information, including multi-media materials,
please visit: http://news.nike.com/.
Individuals can also visit http://news.nike.com/
and follow @Nike.
Contacts
NIKE, Inc.
Media Relations
212-367-4447
