Hyper For Hyperdunks

I'm hyper for hyperdunks - shoes so fantabulously nerdy they shouldn't exist - to replace my malnourished, neglected Nike's. And the new Nike Back To The Future "McFly 2015" hyperdunk was almost the shoe of choice.

Almost?

If you haven't heard already, the new Nike basketball shoe is sweeping the footwear world like no other shoe. Why? Because it's ultra cool, mega nerdy, and produced in massively limited numbers.

In April 2007 I received an email from Kev, the same Kev who hooked me up with the idea for 2005's self-perpetuating Zombie walk. Knowing I was a huge Back To The Future nerd, and being an extraordinarily thoughtful fellow, he sent me a link to a wild shoe petition.

The site was www.mcfly2015.com, an online petition started by Michael 'Mickey' Maloof and his brother to convince Nike to make the self-lacing Nike Air Mag that Marty McFly wore in Back To The Future II. I signed the petition immediately, and in the ensuing nail-biting months about 40,000 others followed suit.

On July 2, Nike released 350 pairs of the McFly hyperdunk in California, and plans to release only 1,000 more later this month. Within hours the $240-shoes were fetching thousands of dollars on eBay.

That's right. THOUSANDS. And NO, they don't have power laces.

Even still, I couldn't stop my panic-induced freak out as I began calling Foot Locker's head office, and every other leading and specialty (Zero Count) shoe store I could think of. Thirty phone calls later I learned that Canada would not be getting the new hyperdunk. My plan, to park my DeLorean out front of a store to attract more attention if the manager could guarantee me a pair, faded into salty, repulsive tears of anger and frustration.

Yes, this was upsetting news, especially considering it was a fellow Canadian, and his online petition, who convinced Nike to make the shoe in the first place. I contacted Mickey Maloof for more information.

During his talks with the CEO and president of Nike, Mark Parker, Mickey learned that they've got something up their sleeve. "The voices have been heard. Stay tuned." said Mr. Parker. This morning I asked Mickey if he felt slighted that Nike wouldn't give, or sell him a pair and he only had this to say: "Nike called me yesterday..."

That's where our conversation ended. No explanation. No further insight.

So, if you're as big a nerd as I am, hold off forking out a cleverly-priced $2,015 for the Nike McFly's because it seems the story isn't over. Nike's got a plan in the works. Yep, something's afoot, if you'll pardon the pun, and I'll see if I can squeeze anything else out of Mickey Maloof.

In the meantime, sign the petition!