Nike goes to court for Lil Nas X sneakers, but that adds fuel to the fire
The commotion surrounding the ‘Satan Shoes’ is not over yet. Nike does not stop there because Lil Nas X (21) has released Nike Air Max’s edited pair. The sports brand has sued MSCHF Product Studio, the rapper’s company, for the conscious Satan Sneakers. TMZ reports this based on legal documents. Meanwhile, the rapper posted a snide apology to anyone who feels offended.
The video, entitled ‘Lil Nas X Apologizes for Satan Shoe,’ posted on YouTube, begins with the rapper holding up one of the shoes, which contains pentagram medallions and a drop of human blood. The video starts with the words, “I see everyone is talking about this shoe, and I just want to say…”
The video then transitions to a scene from his new clip for the song ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’ in which he gives Satan a lap dance. In it, he kills the devil, takes his horns, and puts them on his head. As if that wasn’t enough, Lil Nas X added a second ‘apology’ in the comments, which actually includes a link to the full video for the song. To conclude, he added: “We have decided to drop these to even the score. Damn y’all happy now?”
The ‘Satan Shoes’ are a limited edition of 666 pairs and feature red ink in the bubble and a drop of human blood. Each pair also has a pentagram medallion and ‘LUKE 10:18’ written on the side, a reference to the Bible verse: “And he said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
Right-wing figures from the States, ranging from South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to evangelical preachers, have already gone after the rapper.
Some called for a boycott on Nike, although the company has nothing to do with the shoes. “We have no relationship with Little Nas X or MSCHF,” Nike said in a statement.
“Nike did not design or release these shoes, and we certainly do not support them.” According to Nike, MSCHF Product Studio is infringing Nike’s trademark with the shoes. The famous logo, the so-called Swoosh, is still clearly visible. The sports brand, therefore, demands compensation.
Emotional letter to herself
Lil Nas X, whose real name is Montero Lamar, released the video for his new song last week, along with an emotional open letter to his 14-year-old self. “I wrote a song with our name in it,” he wrote.
