Nike has sued a New York shoe company that claims to be making the “Satan Shoes” that featured in the music video of Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)”. The company MSCHF Product Studio Inc also alleged that the shoes contain a drop of human blood.
According to Nike Inc, MSCHF infringed and diluted its trademark with the shoes. They went on sale on Monday, 29 March 2021 just as Lil Nas X video started stirring controversies online. However, Nike did not name Lil Nas X as a defendant in the lawsuit.
The Satan Shoes are really just customised Nike Air Max 97 sneakers that contain red ink and the alleged ‘blood’ in their soles. On the shoe’s website, only 666 pairs were made and one bears “MSCHF” on the back while the other bears “Lil Nas X”.
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According to reports, the shoes sold for $1,018 per pair and was sold out in less than a minute. The singer also promised to gift the 666th pair to a Twitter user on Thursday, 1st April 2021.
if u want the 666th pair of the satan shoes quote this tweet and use #satanshoes to be entered and I’ll pick someone by thursday ???
— MONTERO ? (@LilNasX) March 29, 2021
Nike’s grouse is not just about the copyright infringement but also on the possible negative feedback that these Satan Shoes could have on the brand.
“There is already evidence of significant confusion and dilution occurring in the marketplace, including calls to boycott Nike in response to the launch of MSCHF’s Satan Shoes based on the mistaken belief that Nike has authorized or approved this product,” the company’s lawsuit said.
The athletic shoemaker wants the court to block MSCHF Product Studio Inc from fulfilling its orders and also pay for damages. As of when this article was published, MSCHF has not said anything about the lawsuit.
You can read more about Lil Nas X’s controversial video here: Lil Nas X drops mystic-themed music video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” song
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