Monday, September 2, 2013

NIKE Dunk SE DeLorean 6.0 2010

I dream about the future a lot.  

So apparently did Philip K. Dick, H.G. Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, Sirs Isaac Asimov and Arthur Conon Doyle. What is it that draws Man to look to what might be?  Why are wormholes, parallel universes, space-time continuums, and time-machines so mind-blowing and maddeningly alluring?  Is it that we yearn to know the extent of our own mortality... Or do we all just really REALLY want a Mattel hoverboard already.  

Whatever the reasons, the ideas, thoughts, hypothesis, books, movies and...objects that appear futuristic, to those of us futurists, hold particular appeal.  It's one thing to think about the future, but another to hold it in your hand, or, wear it on your feet.  If you're a casual reader of this blog, you'll know that I am fascinated by combinations of things from the past with things from the future, such as a perfectly-tailored suit with a hypermodern pair of kicks.  Chronicled first here, and then also here, I've introduced two visually stunning pairs of sneakers that give me a sense of what we might be bounding about in in the near and distant future.  They're sleek, well thought-out, devoid of trend, and would look at home on a space-ship in the year 2050.  

Fans of the film Back to the Future II, including myself, had been clamoring for years for the Air Mags, which, in 2011, Nike finally released.  Considered to be the holy-grail for sneakerfiles, these shoes sold out immediately at jaw-dropping prices via a special auction on eBay for all 1,500 pairs, with all proceeds going to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.  A posting on that pair is forthcoming...

In the meantime, Nike sated its hungry fans with several BTTF2-themed kicks.  The Nike Hyperdunk Supremes in 2008 and 2010, the Nike Hypermax McFlys, and the Nike Zoom Tre AD, all served as precursors to the eventual unveiling of the Air Mag.  However, Nike also produced something very special, not necessarily BTTF2-themed, but still a member of the club: the Nike Dunk SE DeLorean 6.0.  

Inspired by the ill-fated automobile styled for more form vice function, the DeLorean, which gained cult status with its inclusion in the BTTF trilogy, Nike designers truly outdid themselves.  On sale the night of November 26th, 2010, aka Black Friday, at nine PacSun locations in the U.S., all 1,500 pairs sold out instantly.  I was able to track down a pair in my size from a DeLorean enthusiast in southern California, and here they are.  Of note, the silvery material of the shoe closely resembles the look of stainless steel, of which the DeLorean was made, and the rear of the shoes feature designs reminiscent of the rear window covering.  However, the surprise comes on the soles: exact renderings of the taillights.  While these sneakers are not necessarily futuristic themselves, they represent and pay homage to something that was.

Trad, meet the back to the future.




























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