The saga of the Lil Nas X 'Satan Shoe' are becoming something of legend for sneaker heads.
Nike has issued this most recent statement along with the news that they are pursuing legal action against the parties involved.
“Nike filed a trademark infringement and dilution complaint against MSCHF today related to the Satan Shoes,” the brand said. “We don’t have any further details to share on pending legal matters. However, we can tell you we do not have a relationship with Lil Nas X or MSCHF. The Satan Shoes were produced without Nike’s approval or authorization, and Nike is in no way connected with this project.”
Creative collective MSCHF along with Lil Nas X dropped an extremely limited number of customized Air Max 97s on march 29th and within a minute, all 666 pairs were sold. It should also be noted that each of the pairs went for over a cool thousand bucks per.
The details of the sneaker is where the story begins to spiral. Individually numbered, the shoes are emblazoned with an inverted cross, a reference to the biblical verse in Luke 10:18 (He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.), a pentagram hangtag, and the most intriguing talking point... actual blood. The design's signature air bubble has 60ccs of red ink completed with one drop of actual human blood for a degree of authenticity that makes the sneakers an absolute must for collectors.
The problem however is that now Nike is facing major backlash with consumers mistakenly believing that the brand produced the shoe design. The reality is that MSCHF actually purchases the shoes at full retail value then customizes the shoes with their own creative concept. The precedent was established when MSCHF dropped their infamous 'Jesus Shoe' in 2019. Similar to the 'Satan Shoe' the signature air bubble actual housed a water from the River Jordan - prompting it's own outcry of blasphemy - though Nike took no action then.
The lawsuit from Nike just hours after the shoe drop reads, "Nike has not and does not approve or authorize MSCHF’s customized Satan Shoes. Moreover, MSCHF and its unauthorized Satan Shoes are likely to cause confusion and dilution and create an erroneous association between MSCHF’s products and Nike. In fact, there is already evidence of significant confusion and dilution occurring in the marketplace, including calls to boycott Nike in response to the launch of MSCHF’s Satan Shoes based on the mistaken belief that Nike has authorized or approved this product.”
The lawsuit is calling for the immediate destruction of the shoes and for financial damages in the wake of cries for a boycott of Nike from the consumer public. This story will likely get much more interesting in the coming days. One thing is for sure... Lil Nas X and MSCHF went metal AF for this one.
