With the drop of Lil Nas X's latest music video "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)" last week, where the openly gay rapper playfully explores and rebels against the homophobia rampant in Christianity, X announced the sale of 666 pairs of black and red Nike Air Max 97s, donned the "Satan Shoes."
Since they dropped, the Satan Shoes have been embroiled in controversy. At first just outrage from conservative Christian folk, but then the athletic brand itself had to release a statement distancing themselves from X. "We do not have a relationship with Little Nas X or MSCHF," Nike said in a statement. "Nike did not design or release these shoes and we do not endorse them."
They then sued X.
The shoes aren't actually created by Nike, but a collaboration with MSCHF, a Brooklyn-based art collective that modified the Nike Air Max 97s with an inverted cross, a pentagram, and a "Luke 10:18" inscription. Six company workers even donated their blood to mix in with ink that filled an air bubble in the sneaker.
On Thursday, Nike won the lawsuit, citing "trademark infringement and dilution, false designation of origin, and unfair competition", and effectively blocked MSCHF from shipping the shoes out the 665 people who purchased them, as well as preventing X from giving away the 666th pair.
“MSCHF and its unauthorized Satan Shoes are likely to cause confusion and dilution and create an erroneous association between MSCHF’s products and Nike,” they alleged in court.
X addressed the lawsuit on Twitter. "Sorry guys, I’m legally not allowed to give the 666th pair away anymore because of the crying nerds on the internet," he said.
MSCHF is pointing out the hypocrisy of the situation. In 2019, they customized Nike shoes and sold them as "Jesus Shoes" filled with holy water from the Jordan River, which went viral. Even rapper Drake nabbed a pair. Nike did not sue then, so why sue now?
MSCHF released a statement on their website:
“Over a year ago we released the Jesus Shoes. As a manifested speculative artwork Jesus Shoes conflates celebrity collab culture and brand worship with religious worship into a limited edition line of art objects.
Last week’s release of the Satan Shoes, in collaboration with Lil Nas X, was no different. Satan Shoes started a conversation, while also living natively in its space. It is art created for people to observe, speculate on, purchase, and own.
Heresy only exists in relation to doctrine: who is Nike to censor one but not the other?”
Satan is as much part of the art historical canon as Jesus, from Renaissance Hellmouths to Milton. Satan exists as the challenger to the ultimate authority. We were delighted to work with Lil Nas X on Satan Shoes and continue this dialogue.
We are not affiliated with Nike, as we have consistently iterated to the press. We were honestly surprised by the action Nike has taken, and immediately after Nike’s counsel sent us notice we reached out but received no response.
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.”
X agreed with the sentiment of feeling stifled. "I haven’t been upset until today, I feel like it’s f**ked up they have so much power they can get shoes canceled. Freedom of expression gone out the window. But that’s gonna change soon."
