Nike has settled its lawsuit against MSCHF over the controversial;‘Satan Shoe’ it released in collaboration with rapper Lil Nas X.
As part of the settlement, MSCHF has agreed to recall the shoes;from buyers, as well as the ‘Jesus Shoes’ it previously made. It is worth noting that in 2019 MSCHF released ‘Jesus Shoes’, but then, Nike didn’t file a lawsuit. However, it seems like the satanic connection caused too much controversy for it to look the other way.
A spokesperson from Nike said:
“In both cases, MSCHF altered these shoes without Nike’s authorization. Nike had nothing to do with the ‘Satan Shoes’ or the ‘Jesus Shoes’. Nike and MSCHF have agreed to settle the lawsuit. As part of the settlement, Nike has asked MSCHF, and MSCHF;has agreed, to initiate a voluntary recall to buy back any ‘Satan Shoes’ and ‘Jesus Shoes’ for their original;retail prices, in order to remove them from circulation”.
Nike’s settlement only says that MSCHF will initiate a “voluntary recall” to buy back;the Satan Shoes and Jesus Shoes from buyers. However, according to some reports, the limited release with Lil Nas X, along with the controversy, will ramp up the value of the kicks. MSCHF’s products have become coveted for being not only rare and exclusive but also “banned.”
MSCHF pleased to resolve the lawsuit
Meanwhile, David Bernstein, from the intellectual property litigation group at Debevoise & Plimpton and a representative for MSCHF, said the artistic messages the collective hoped to convey were “dramatically amplified” by the lawsuit.
“MSCHF intended to comment on the absurdity of the collaboration culture practiced by some brands, and about the perniciousness of intolerance,” he said in a statement as news of the settlement emerged, adding that MSCHF was “pleased to have resolved the lawsuit”.
As its name suggests, MSCHF has made itself known over the years by releasing outlandish limited-edition products, like a 76,000 dollars Birkenstock sandal made from real Hermès Birkin bags. With the ‘Satan Shoe’, the firm took things quite a step further, taking a pair of ‘Nike Air Max 97s’ and adding a drop of real human blood to the limited-edition shoe. Only 666 pairs were made at a price of 1,018 dollars, a play on the biblical quote Luke 10:18 that appears on the side of the shoe to honor Lucifer.
Ironically, back in 2007, Nike itself planned on celebrating Halloween with a pair of custom SB Dunk Lows inspired by Freddy Krueger’s trademark sweater from Nightmare on Elm Street. But the producers of the movie sent a cease-and-desist letter to Nike, forcing the company to cancel the release after it already began production. Some of the shoes made it out into the wild and are now worth tens of thousands of dollars. Also, the company was recently called out by the USPS for making a shoe inspired by the USPS Priority Mail envelope.
Read also: Nike Sues MSCHF Over Lil Nas X Satan Shoes
