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Nike was not pleased to learn that MSCHF, a Brooklyn-based team of product designers, used one of their existing sneaker styles to create what the group has dubbed “Satan Shoes” in collaboration with rapper Lil Nas X. shoes are black Air Max. 97 that MSCHF customized without Nike’s involvement, attaching a bronze pentagram to the laces, adding red embroidery, and injecting ink and “1 drop of human blood” onto the sole of the shoe, according to the MSCHF website, which put selling 666 pairs at $ 1,018 each. .
Yesterday, Nike filed a lawsuit against the company for trademark infringement and dilution, which is more action than it apparently took in 2019, when MSCHF launched its notorious “Jesus Shoes”, custom white Air Max 97 with soles containing water. from the Jordan River that MSCHF blessed by a priest. Nike didn’t bother to reject the shoes then, much to the disappointment of at least one designer on the MSCHF team who spoke to the New York Times last year. “That would have been great,” he said.
Nike does not comment on its new lawsuit, beyond providing a statement saying it has no connection to MSCHF or Lil Nas X and that it did not authorize the shoes. But its court file offers a clue: This time the company is dealing with public anger.
Nike Inc. vs. MSCHF Product Studio Inc.
Why Nike is suing MSCHF
Nike stated in its filing that “there is already evidence of significant confusion and dilution in the marketplace, including calls to boycott Nike in response to the launch of the MSCHF Satan shoes based on the mistaken belief that Nike has licensed or approved this product”. It included screenshots of comments from social media users expressing outrage or vowing never to wear Nike again.
He also noted: “In the short time since Satan Shoes was announced, Nike has suffered significant damage to its goodwill, even among consumers who believe that Nike supports Satanism.”
MSCHF is known for basically viral products, like its recent “Birkinstocks”, Birkenstock sandals made from Hermès Birkin bags. He originally envisioned the Jesus Shoes as a way to upset sneaker manufacturers and their fans about the growing number of sneaker collaborations.
“We thought about the collaboration of Arizona Iced Tea and Adidas, where they sold shoes that [advertised] a beverage company that sells iced tea in wineries, “Daniel Greenberg, the group’s chief strategy officer, told the New York Post in 2019.” So we wanted to make a statement about how absurd the collaborative culture has become. ”He wondered what a collaboration with Jesus would look like and said that, being a Jew, the only thing he really knew about Jesus was that he walked on water.
Satan’s shoes with Lil Nas X were apparently a logical follow-up. However, they could be expensive. In addition to asking the court to stop MSCHF from complying with orders for its Satan shoes, Nike is also seeking damages.
