Nike has filed suit against MSCHF Product Studio, known for over-the-top fashion modifications, for selling Nike Air Max 97s that allegedly contain drops of human blood. Lil Nas X, the singer known for “Old Town Road,” collaborated on the Satan Shoes.
But many people are wondering: Does that mean Nike is suing Lil Nas X? The VERIFY team dug into the story.
THE QUESTION
Did Nike sue Lil Nas X over the ‘Satan Shoes’ that allegedly contain human blood?
OUR SOURCES
A statement from Nike
Nike’s lawsuit against MSCHF
MSCHF’s website
THE ANSWER
No. The lawsuit names only MSCHF Product Studio. Lil Nas X is not named anywhere in the suit.
WHAT WE FOUND
MSCHF, the art collective that sold Jesus shoes with holy water in the soles in 2019, bought 666 pairs of Nike Air Max 97s. In the product description on its site, MSCHF says the shoes contain one drop of human blood and 60cc of red ink in the soles and are adorned with a bronze pentagram.
Nike filed the suit in U.S. District Court in New York, saying that it did not approve or authorize the alteration of the shoes. The athletic wear maker says MSCHF is creating confusion among consumers, with some calling for boycotts against Nike.
Lil Nas X collaborated on the shoes in connection with the release of his song “Montero (Call Me By My Name).”
The shoes went on sale March 29 for $1,018 — a reference to Luke 10:18 in the New Testament, which says, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” — and sold out within minutes except for one pair. The 666th pair is being raffled off April 1 in an online drawing.
In a statement to VERIFY on Monday, Nike said it “filed a trademark infringement and dilution complaint against MSCHF today related to the Satan Shoes. . . . 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.”
