My1sttoday: Nike settles lawsuit against maker of Lil Nas X’s ‘Satan Shoes’.
Nike announced on Thursday that it has settled its lawsuit against MSCHF for its “Satan Shoes” collaboration with Lil Nas X.
The Satan Shoes, which were modified Nike Air Max 97 sneakers that purportedly contained a drop of human blood, will be recalled, Reuters reports. MSCHF reportedly agreed to buy back the shoes that have been sold in order to remove them from circulation.
Only 666 pairs were made of the shoes, which were released alongside Lil Nas X’s satanic-themed video for his hit single “Montero (Call Me by Your Name).”
The shoes — priced at $1,018 — sold out in less than a minute after they went up for sale last Monday. The price was a reference to the Biblical passage Luke 10:18, which reads, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
“We do not have a relationship with Lil Nas or MSCHF,” Nike said in a statement at the time. “Nike did not design or release these shoes and we do not endorse them.”
A week after the shoes were sold, Nike filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against MSCHF, arguing the shoes created a “likelihood of consumer confusion, mistake, and deception as to the source of origin or relationship of Nike’s products and MSCHF’s Satan Shoes, and has otherwise competed unfairly by unlawfully trading on and using” trademarks without permission.
Nike also argued that it had to hold control over its brand by making it clear what products can feature its signature “swoosh” logo.
“In fact, 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,” Nike said.