Little Nas X’s limited edition “Satan Shoes,” boasting the famous swoosh and containing a drop of blood, aren’t sitting well with Nike.
Nike filed a lawsuit in federal district court Monday against MSCHF, which produced the shoes. They contain a pentagram and are stamped with the phrase “Luke 10:18” – a reference to Satan falling from heaven. MSCHF made 666 pairs of them using Nike Air Max ‘97s.
Although Nike did not have any involvement, many of Little Nas X’s fans apparently thought the company did.
“Nike filed a trademark infringement and dilution complaint against MSCHF today related to the Satan Shoes. We don’t have any further details to share on pending legal matters,” Nike said in a statement shared with USA Today. “However, we can tell you we do not have a relationship with Lil Nas X or MSCHF. The Satan Shoes were produced without Nike's approval or authorization, and Nike is in no way connected with this project.”
The shoes were released as Lil Nas X released a video for his song Montero that shows him falling into hell, where he dances with Satan.
A copy of the lawsuit was posted on Twitter.
Nike is suing MSCHF for their Satan Shoes that dropped today. Below is their case filing with some of the complaints: pic.twitter.com/5mwmptK4pW
— Mohak (@themacint0sh) March 29, 2021
“MSCHF is currently taking orders for shoes it refers to as Satan Shoes, which are customized Nike Air Max 97 shoes that MSCHF has materially altered to prominently feature a satanic theme,” the lawsuit says. “This was done without Nike’s approval or authorization, and Nike is in no way connected with this project.”
The shoes “are likely to cause confusion and dilution and create an erroneous association between MSCHF’s products and Nike,” the lawsuit says.
The suit mentions “calls to boycott Nike in response” to the shoes “based on the mistaken belief that Nike has authorized or approved this product.”
“Nike files this lawsuit to maintain control of its brand, to protect its intellectual property, and to clear the confusion and dilution in the marketplace by setting the record straight – Nike has not and does not approve or authorize MSCHF’s Satan Shoes,” the suit says.
Related:
Photo courtesy: ©MSCHF
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
