Of all the gadgets that appeared in the Back To the Future trilogy back in the 80s, why do we love the self-lacing shoe so much? Their first outing was on Marty McFly’s feet in Back To The Future II, and that was it, the world was hooked. Forget that there’s an actual car that can take you to any point in time, anywhere in the universe, we would like a pair of sneakers that can tie themselves please. And so, rather than the boffins at DeLorean knuckling down and getting to grips with a flux capacitor, the team at Nike spent a couple of decades working out how to fit the required motor into the heel without the shoe being so heavy you couldn’t walk. And now the Air Jordan XI Adapt is here. Are you happy? Great. We could have gone anywhere in time!
The Air Jordan XI is another great moment from the past, worn by Michael Jordan himself during the comeback trail of the 1995 NBA season. This year marks the 25th anniversary of that pivotal sneaker moment (The Air Jordan brand has gone on to become bigger than Michael himself as a result) and to celebrate, Nike have taken the technology from their touch-button fitting Nike Adapt and housed it deep within the Air Jordan XI. The result is pure McFly (Marty, not the band).
Essentially still the Air Jordan we know and love, but with a futuristic white-and-ice makeover, the thick laces have been replaced with light lock-down chords, while the jump man logo runs across the black tongue and heel. Adjustment comes from the midsole buttons (you can change the colours on the app) and the shoes come with a charging pad and plug so you’re good to go straight out the box. Enjoy.
Available December 30th here
