Just a few days ago, Beth brought to our attention the bizarre concept that was "Satan Shoes," a collaboration between singer Lil Nas X and MSCHF, a Brooklyn art collective. Well, Nike didn't like that the collaboration involved their Nike Air Max 97s, and earlier this week they sued. On Wednesday, Nike's request for a temporary restraining order against MSCHF was granted by a U.S. District Court judge. Such news comes during the Christian Holy Week, in the days before Easter.
MSCHF x Lil Nas X "Satan Shoes" ??
— SAINT (@saint) March 26, 2021
??Nike Air Max '97
??Contains 60cc ink and 1 drop of human blood
???666 Pairs, individually numbered
??$1,018
???March 29th, 2021 pic.twitter.com/XUMA9TKGSX
The shoes reference Luke 10:18, which reads, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven."
Nike has emphasized from the beginning that they are not affiliated, something they've doubled down on. According to CBS' Sophie Lewis:
"Nike filed a trademark infringement and dilution complaint against MSCHF today related to the Satan Shoes," Nike told CBS News in a statement Thursday. "We don't have any further details to share on pending legal matters. 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 case continues to have court hearings into today:
The court order states that the Brooklyn-based agency cannot fulfill any orders. During a court hearing Thursday morning, MSCHF's lawyer said that the majority of the shoes, over 600 pairs, have already been shipped to individual consumers, arguing that this rendered Nike's claims irrelevant.
Nike's lawyer said he had "some serious doubts" that MSCHF was able to ship and deliver all 665 pairs of the shoes in the last few days. Even if they had, the lawyer argued, that would not eliminate the "irreparable harm" caused by the shoes.
He argued that shipping the shoes does not remove the "post-sale confusion and delusion" experienced by Nike customers. Nike said that MSCHF's marketing and social media materials prominently featured the Nike "swoosh" mark, with no public disclaimers or disassociations with Nike.
Nike said some customers are now boycotting the brand online for its apparent association with Satan. The company wants MSCHF to stop all orders currently in transit and recover them.
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Supposedly, 665 pairs of the shoes sold out in one-minute on Monday and are in transit. The 666th pair--with 666 being the number of the beast--was to be part of a raffle, but that is on hold.
The controversy, which, again, comes during the Christian Holy Week--you be the judge if that's coincidental or not--has involved many high profile figures. This includes Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD), though I'll warn you that the tweet threads contain extremely offensive responses.
Our kids are being told that this kind of product is, not only okay, it's "exclusive." But do you know what's more exclusive? Their God-given eternal soul.
— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) March 28, 2021
We are in a fight for the soul of our nation. We need to fight hard. And we need to fight smart. We have to win. https://t.co/m1k1YWFpuo
What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?
— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) March 28, 2021
-Matthew 16:26 https://t.co/pS6132euFd
Lil Nas X is not named as a defendant, as CBS pointed out. He's gone from joking about the lawsuit, though, to tweeting about his anxiety.
me at nike headquarters tomorrow pic.twitter.com/iAAdjc8Ele
— nope ?? (@LilNasX) March 29, 2021
i’ll be honest all this backlash is putting an emotional toll on me. i try to cover it with humor but it’s getting hard. my anxiety is higher than ever and stream call me by your name on all platforms now!
— nope ?? (@LilNasX) March 29, 2021
His request to fans, then, who want to support him in this time of anxiety, then is to go dabble further with the devil in listening to his song, "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)."
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