Nike is suing small company MSCHF, over its collaborated sale with rapper Lil Nas X of 666 pairs of altered Nike Air 97 sneakers, which have now been branded “Satan Shoes”. The shoes are alleged to contain human blood.
Nike has distanced itself from the black and red sneaker made by the New York Company.
The sportswear company said it was not involved in the making of the controversially modified shoe and would be suing the company.
“We do not have a relationship with Lil Nas or MSCHF. Nike did not design or release these shoes and we do not endorse them,” said Nike.
Nike has asked the courts to stop MSCHF from using its famous Swoosh design mark and to bar the defendants from distributing the shoes.
“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 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 authorized or approved the product,” said the sports gear giant in the lawsuit.
Only 666 pairs of the shoe were made and they all contain a drop of human blood. They were priced at $1,018 a pair, this was in reference to the Bible passage from Luke 10:18 that reads, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
All the 666 pairs were sold out in less than a minute after the official launch and Lil Nas X gets to keep one pair.
In confirming the circulating rumors, MSCHF spokesperson Wiesner said the concept was approved by members of the company saying, “We love to sacrifice for our art”.
MSCHF is a design and creative company known for creating controversial art projects unveiled once every two weeks.
In 2019, the collective launched a limited edition of ‘Jesus Shoes’ –also made from Nike Air Max 97 sneakers-. The sneakers featured a steel crucifix and ‘holy water’ sourced from the Jordan River.
Meanwhile Lil Nas X has sparked controversy with his new music video, Montero (Call Me By Your Name).
The video shows the rapper travelling to hell to seduce the devil by giving him a lap dance after which he steals the devil’s horns.