New Delhi: US shoe-maker Nike has sued Brooklyn-based company MSCHF for releasing a pair of ‘Satan shoes’ based on its sneakers.
MSCHF released 666 ‘Satan shoes’ on 29 March in collaboration with renowned rapper Lil Nas X. 666 signifies the devil or antichrist.
The shoes, which triggered huge social media backlash, feature an inverted cross, a pentagram and have ‘Luke 10:18’ (the Bible verse which talks about Satan’s fall from heaven) written on them. The shoes feature an inverted Nike swoosh as well.
Lil Nas X is LITERALLY out here telling you he’s a satanist in his new video.
Promoting nikes’ Satan shoes with human blood inside of them ? and y’all are cheering him on???
This world is goneeee
— Enigma (@shannon_gumbs) March 27, 2021
LMAO- I remember when Nike pulled the shoes featuring the Betsy Ross flag for being "too controversial" and "offensive" and now they are marketing "Satan Shoes" with "human blood". We really do live in stupid times… https://t.co/UH23F5bFGS
— Carol Roth (@caroljsroth) March 27, 2021
Each shoe also features a Nike air bubble cushioning sole containing 60 cubic centimetres of red ink mixed with a drop of real human blood, donated by employees of MSCHF. They were priced at $1,018 a pair and were reportedly sold out within a minute of their launch.
The launch also coincided with Lil Nas’ latest song Montero (Call Me By Your Name). In the video, released on 26 March, Nas is seduced out of heaven and condemned to hell. He gives the devil a lap dance in the video before snapping his neck and claiming the crown.
Also read: Nike faces recall demand as Muslims protest Air Max 270 sneakers’ design
Nike’s lawsuit
After the backlash, Nike distanced themselves from the shoes and released a statement saying, “We do not have a relationship with Little Nas X or MSCHF.”
“Nike did not design or release these shoes and we do not endorse them,” it added.
The company also filed a lawsuit against MSCHF Monday claiming copyright infringement and “false designation of origin”. Nas hasn’t been named as a defendant.
In the lawsuit, Nike argues it must contain control over its brand, by “setting the record straight”, about what products bear its distinctive ‘swoosh’ logo.
“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 authorised or approved this product,” Nike says in the lawsuit.
Not the first time for MSCHF
MSCHF has a reputation of launching such wild and irreverent products.
In fact, this isn’t their first experiment with Nike’s Air Max 97s sneakers. Designed on the same shoes, they had released a limited edition ‘Jesus shoes’ in 2019, which contained ‘holy water’ from river Jordan and a steel crucifix.
In the same year, they had released a laptop containing dangerous computer viruses, which was sold for over $1.3 million.
In February this year, they had ripped open four Hermès Birkin bags to create a collection of sandals priced between $34,000 and $76,000, according to CNN.
Unapologetic Nas
Nas, a Grammy-winning artist, however, remains defiant and humorous in the face of the backlash.
Right after controversy over his video, the rapper said he wanted people to “feel the anger you teach us to have towards ourselves (the LGBTQ community)”.
i spent my entire teenage years hating myself because of the shit y’all preached would happen to me because i was gay. so i hope u are mad, stay mad, feel the same anger you teach us to have towards ourselves.
— nope ? (@LilNasX) March 27, 2021
He also went live on Instagram Tuesday and “fake cried” over the controversy, asking more and more people to stream his song.
In another post, the artist wrote, “We are in a pandemic & there is a mass shooting every week but y’all are gathering in church to discuss shoes lmaooo”.
we are in a pandemic & there is a mass shooting every week but y’all are gathering in church to discuss shoes lmaooo https://t.co/PW9Szwd8KB
— nope ? (@LilNasX) March 30, 2021
After Nike’s lawsuit, Nas posted a gif of Squidward from cartoon show Spongebob Squarepants, living in a cardboard box, asking for change, with the caption, “me after the Nike lawsuit”.
me after the nike lawsuit pic.twitter.com/XVLjHlSrru
— nope ? (@LilNasX) March 29, 2021
(Edited by Debalina Dey)
Also read: How a teenager with cerebral palsy inspired Nike to create a ‘hands-free’ shoe