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Lil Nas X ‘Satan Shoe’ Collaboration Triggers Lawsuit From Nike

By Modupeoluwa Adekanye

30 March 2021   |   9:23 am

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It's been quite a few days for sneakers, Satan, and the artist Lil Nas X. It started with a recently released music video that sees the 21-year-old of "Old Town Road" fame give the devil a lap dance, which resulted in the Grammy winner exchanging disses with a sitting US governor who took issue with…

It’s been quite a few days for sneakers, Satan, and the artist Lil Nas X. It started with a recently released music video that sees the 21-year-old of “Old Town Road” fame give the devil a lap dance, which resulted in the Grammy winner exchanging disses with a sitting US governor who took issue with the seductive clip and began tweeting Bible verses at him.

Then, the announcement that the rapper would collaborate with a Brooklyn company to make 666 pairs of “Satan Shoes,” black Nike Air Max 97s customized to feature a bronze pentagram, a Bible verse referring to Satan’s fall, and a drop of human blood mixed with red ink in the midsole has resulted to a lawsuit.

Nike is suing MSCHF Product Studio, the eccentric company that linked up with Lil Nas X to create the shoe, for trademark infringement and dilution, saying in a statement to AFP that “the Satan Shoes were produced without Nike’s approval or authorization, and Nike is in no way connected with this project.”

In federal court documents, Nike alleges that the release has prompted boycott calls against them from offended consumers, who erroneously associate the sneaker giant with the bloody soled-shoes due to their trademark swoosh symbol.

The shoes sold out almost instantly after dropping Monday, going for $1,018 a pair. The sale is a follow-up to MSCHF’s “Jesus Shoes” white Nike Air Max 97s, which contained holy water in the sole.

Nike did not sue over that product line.

Lil Nas X’s collaboration on the shoes comes as he released his devilish music video for his new song “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” a song whose title appears to refer to the novel and film “Call Me By Your Name,” about a summer romance between two men.

In the lusty clip, the rapper born Montero Lamar Hill celebrates his sexuality and queerness, the artist came out in 2019, pole dancing in stilettos down to Hell to twerk on the Devil.