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Sorry, Nike's new 'Back to the Future' shoes didn't leak on Twitter

A tweet involving a "Back to the Future" Nike Mag shoe sends imaginations into overdrive as fans hope their self-lacing dreams will soon come true.

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
2 min read

Max Erdenberger accidentally sent a legion of "Back to the Future" fans into a tizzy with an innocent tweet Wednesday showing him holding a Nike Air Mag shoe. He sports a serious expression, and the only text accompanying the image is "October 21, 2015." That's a reference to the date Mary McFly reaches the future in "Back the Future: Part II."

Normally a tweet like this wouldn't generate buzz, but Erdenberger once worked as an art director for ad agency Wieden + Kennedy, which famously helped push Nike to its current state of marketing glory. Erdenberger currently works for design consultancy Central Office, which lists Nike as a client.

A variety of blogs put this information together and fervently hoped Erdenberger's tweet was actually a sneak peek at a promised new release of self-lacing Nike Mag shoes expected later this year.

Back in January, Nike designer Tinker Hatfield said the company is working hard to deliver a self-lacing set of Nike Mag shoes. We still have a little time until the October deadline, but fans have been hoping for a reveal of the sneaker tech sooner than that.

Unfortunately, Erdenberger's picture is not that reveal. He confirmed to CNET's Crave blog that the shoe in the photo is actually one of the 2011 limited-edition replica Nike Mag shoes that do not have power laces. Don't be too upset. Erdenberger is just another fan like us sharing a picture of his cool kicks. He made no promises in that tweet.

The fuss and fun over the image just goes to show how desperately we all want Nike to unveil a real power-lacing pair of Mags. Until then, we'll have to settle for some sub-$100 replica Marty McFly shoes.