Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly in Man has always looked to the future with eager, hungry eyes, hoping and praying for technological advancements that will make his life easier.

Now mankind has achieved another victory in the evolution of its species: He has created a shoe that laces itself and also looks eerily similar to Marty McFly's futuristic sneakers from "Back to the Future Part II."

Nike filed a patent for the technical specs of the new shoe with the World Intellectual Property Organization back in 2009 under the rather innocuous sounding "Automatic Lacing System."

Keep reading to learn exactly what an "Automatic Lacing System" could possibly be.



The patent describes the prototype as a futuristic-looking sneaker with "a set of straps that can be automatically opened and closed to switch between a loosened and tightened position of the upper." They also include "an automatic ankle cinching system that is configured to automatically adjust an ankle portion of the upper."

So, you just bend over and push a button to loosen or tighten the strap around your ankle. You mean you have to use your hands? That's like a baby's shoe!

The shoe laces itself with a small motor unit that pushes and pulls the laces around the ankle and foot through a drive train mounted in the heel. The patent doesn't say when Nike hopes to unleash this unholy bit of podiatric awesomeness on the world. But, rest assured, when it happens, mankind will never be the same again.