It’s been one hell of a week for MSCHF and openly gay American Singer Montero Lamar Hill, or as the world knows him, Lil Nas X. Sparking attention after the release of the music video for his single “Call Me By Your Name”, the “Old Town Road” singer received both praised and literally demonized by social media and the religious community. Now, Nike gets thrown into the mix with their latest lawsuit.
Where it all started….
As part of the video’s narrative, Lil Nas X is seduced by the devil in the Garden of Eden. Next, an angry jury condemns Montero before and casting him out of heaven into hell on an impossibly long stripper pole. The video concludes Lil Nas performing a seductive lap dance for Satan, himself before he snaps the devil’s neck and presumably takes his place as ruler. So, yeah, Christians had a few things to say.
Following the release of the controversial imagery, Lil Nas X partnered with Brooklyn creative collective and iconic customizers MSCHF debuting the Air Max 97 “Satan Shoes”. Most recently, MSCHF created the Birkinstock Sandals constructed from $76k worth of Birkin bags. Sneakerheads may also recall the 2019 MSCF Air Max 97 “Jesus Shoes”. These were White AM 97s customized with a large crucifix hangtag and carried drops of Holy water from the river Jordan. Their latest custom goes for the exact opposite.
The so-called “Satan Shoes” use a Black leather Nike Air Max 97 silhouette for their base. Customized additions include a bronze pentagram pendent hangtag, and inverted crucifix, and the passage “Luke 10:18” in 60 CC Red ink along the lateral sides. This same Red ink appears in the visible Air unit midsole, along with a single drop of human blood. MSCHF has since informed the public the blood used in the sneakers comes from their own design team responsible for the customs.
The passage Luke 10:18 itself references Satan’s fall from heaven. MSCHF dropped the sneakers Sunday March 28th at 11 am. The 666 pairs “Satan Shoes” sold out for $1018 in just under a minute with one pair reserved for a Twitter raffle. Doing some quick math, that means MSCHF made roughly $676,970 in less than 60 seconds. So, Nike started paying attention.
What we’ve learned….
Of course, concerned and confused customers alerted the company when they believed Nike approved of the collaboration. Some even demanding a boycott of Nike as a result of the offensive release. The footwear giant swiftly issued a lawsuit for trademark infringement and dilution for the modifications made. While the AM 97s were purchased legitimately from Nike, the lawsuit insists they have never had any partnership with either MSCHF or Lil Nas X. Although his name is attached to the release, it should be noted that Lil Nas X is not listed as a defendant in the lawsuit. April 1st, MSCHF released an official statement to their website.
“MSCHF strongly believes in the freedom of expression, and nothing is more important than our ability, and the ability of other artists like us, to continue with our work over the coming years. We look forward to working with Nike and the court to resolve this case in the most expeditious manner.”
Needless to say, MSCHF couldn’t dare predict the reaction from customers and companies alike. The official statement reinforces the claim they acted independent of Nike and have no official partnerships with the apparel company. They also mention reaching out directly to Nike, but receiving no reply. As a result the previously mentioned Twitter raffle pair sits in suspension. Resell market now values the Satan Shoe between $2500 and a whopping $1000. This makes them worth no less than 150% than what MSCHF sold them for. Imagine what someone would pay for that final pair.
And that’s where the story currently stands. MSCHF becomes just one of many of the lawsuits Nike has filed this year alone. Sneakerheads may also remember the 1000+ accounts accused of selling counterfeit Nike and Converse merchandise back in January. So now we play the waiting game to see how the suit unfolds moving forward. One thing is for sure, it’s giving Lil Nas X a ton of free marketing. Stay tuned for updates as the MSCHF Satan Shoes story unfolds.
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