A successful Hollywood film can turn an overlooked car into an icon. There’s no better example than the DeLorean DMC-12 immortalized in Back to the Future. The 1985 smash time-travel movie brought renewed fame to the marque, three years after the last of DeLorean’s ill-fated stainless-steel cars rolled off the production line.
Jordan Geller, the founder of ShoeZeum, the world’s first sneaker museum, recently auctioned a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 and a spectacular set of size-11.5 men’s Nike 6.0 DeLorean Dunks on eBay.
Gullwings Galore
In 2010, Nike paid tribute to the DMC-12 with a limited run of gorgeous matte-silver Dunk sneakers. The company minted 1,000 pairs of DeLorean Dunks, with just 50 pairs packaged in distinctive gullwing boxes.
Nike 6.0 DeLorean Dunks carry the DMC logo on the heels, accented by horizontal graphics that mimic the DMC-12’s rear window shades. The soles use the car’s red, orange, and white taillights, while the eye stays echo the gullwing doors. The Belfast tongue graphics are a homage to the workers that churned out approximately 9,000 vehicles at DeLorean’s factory in Ireland.
The sneakers are new in the gullwing box, and the car looks well-maintained, with a mere 11,700 miles on the odometer.
A Museum For Sneaks
Jordan Geller
Jordan Geller started buying and selling vintage sneakers on eBay in law school. At one point, Guinness World Records listed his sneaker collection as the world’s largest.
As the collection ballooned, he turned his San Diego warehouse into the world’s first sneaker museum, the ShoeZeum. Geller closed the ShoeZeum nearly a decade ago, but he still maintains a sizable sneaker collection.
Geller bought the DMC-12 in 2015 and soon began the restoration process at DeLorean Services Northwest in Redmond, Wash. Over the years, he invested $24,000 into the car. The most recent work was an interior refresh, including updates to seat covers, seat belts, carpet, headliner, inner door seals, and speakers.
The mechanicals are up-to-date, including rebuilt brakes, a new fuel pump, a new driveshaft, and new tie rods. The engine compartment sports a new radiator, alternator, and exhaust manifold. A major tune-up was performed, along with transmission service and an AC system rebuild.
Where the Rubber Hits the Road
Over time, John DeLorean’s dream car became a pop culture phenomenon, and the stainless-steel wonder is more famous than ever. The 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 was an opportunity for a retro aficionado to acquire a well-preserved, low-mile example of the breed, along with an exceptional pair of Nike kicks. But several excellent DeLorean examples are commonly available on eBay.
While the Dunks aren’t proper driving shoes, a slew of sneakers have been inspired by legendary cars.
- The Nike Kobe Aston Martin V 5 Pack sneakers pay homage to the Aston Martin DB9.
- Are you planning to own a Porsche 912 one day? In the meantime, consider a rare pair of “Porsche Design Edition” Sonras reportedly inspired by the German sports car.
- Or slip on some PUMA ION Speeds while cheering on Ferrari in this season’s fierce F1 competition.
