Nike Forces Recall of Lil Nas X ‘Satan Shoes’ After Settling With Manufacturer
After much ballyhoo, Nike has settled its trademark dispute with MSCHF, the internet collective who last month partnered with "Old Town Road" rapper Lil Nas X to market 666 limited pairs of customized "Satan Shoes."
The kicks are unofficially modified Nike Air Max 97 sneakers decorated with "evil" bling to help promote the entertainer's latest single, "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)," and its devil-themed music video. But as part of the settlement, Nike has recalled all pairs of the "Satan Shoes" that got out. (Other terms of the sportswear giant's deal with MSCHF aren't public.)
But what hypebeast is really going to willingly return these things if they actually got their hands on them?
After their initial reveal in late March, the MSCHF x Lil Nas X "Satan Shoes" sent conservative Christian Twitter into a rage spiral and caused a massive stir on the internet. When Nike got wind of the collaboration, it sued MSCHF after unwitting online commenters accused the Swoosh of supporting Satanism.
Despite the 666 pairs of sneakers selling out in under a minute, a federal judge ordered the "Satan Shoes" be taken off the market after Nike got involved.
"MSCHF altered these shoes without Nike's authorization," the company said in a statement reported by The Verge. "As part of the settlement, Nike has asked MSCHF, and MSCHF has agreed, to initiate a voluntary recall to buy back any Satan Shoes … to remove them from circulation."
Nike added that if any purchasers were "confused, or if they otherwise want to return their shoes, they may do so for a full refund. Purchasers who choose not to return their shoes and later encounter a product issue, defect, or health concern should contact MSCHF, not Nike."
Was it all just a publicity ploy? Perhaps unsurprisingly, for its part, the Brooklyn-based MSCHF Product Studio (pronounced "mischief") seems perfectly fine with how events have unfolded so far.
"Having already achieved its artistic purpose," MSCHF said in a statement on Thursday (April 8), "MSCHF recognized that settlement was the best way to allow it to put this lawsuit behind it so that it could dedicate its time to new artistic and expressive projects."
Listeners are taking the stunt in stride. On TikTok, a couple of rock musicians got Lil Nas X's attention after they did a "Montero" metal remix. Seeking the viral rapper's participation in an official heavy version of the song, the musicians got Lil Nas' thumbs up when he said, "let's do it."