Nike files suit over Lil Nas X’s ‘Satan Shoes’
Rapper Lil Nas X is facing controversy after launching a limited edition collection of “Satan sneakers” featuring a drop of human blood.
Off the back of his new song Montero, the rapper announced the contentious kicks (Call Me By Your Name). The video for the song shows the singer dancing provocatively with the devil before seemingly murdering him and winning the underworld throne for himself.
The black and red Nike Air Max 97s have a pentagram on top and a reference to the bible verse “Luke 10:18” on the side, which says: “He responded, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.'”
The limited edition of 666 shoes each feature “one drop” of human blood and were valued at $1,018 when they went on sale on Monday. According to XXL Magazine, all 666 pairs were sold out in less than a minute.
However, Nike has filed a case against the rapper, which may have taken Lil Nas X off guard, but he had to have seen this coming — the Church of Satan has thrown its money behind his latest limited edition “Satan Shoes.”
In its complaint, Nike asked the court to order MSCHF to “permanently stop” fulfilling orders for the “unauthorized” Lil Nas X Satan Shoes. The lawsuit notes that social media users have threatened to boycott Nike over the controversial 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,” the sportswear company says in its complaint. “In the short time since the announcement of the Satan Shoes, Nike has suffered significant harm to its goodwill, including among consumers who believe that Nike is endorsing satanism.”
Nike has issued statements to multiple media outlets, including CNN, clarifying it does “not have a relationship with Lil Nas or MSCHF” and that “Nike did not design or release these shoes and we do not endorse them.”