Nike halts further sales of Lil Nas X ‘Satan Shoes’ due to infringement of its trademark
U.S. District Judge Eric Komitee on Thursday sided with Nike Inc in ordering a Brooklyn company to stop further sales of “Satan Shoes” temporarily, produced in collaboration with the rapper Lil Nas X.
Nike sued MSCHF Product Studio Inc, claiming that it infringed its trademarks by using Nike “swoosh” logo for the black-and-red, devil-themed sneakers.
The sneakers are customized versions of the Nike Air Max 97 sneakers that claim to contain one drop of human blood in the midsoles and are printed with “Luke 10:18,” a biblical passage referring to Satan’s fall from heaven.
Only 666 pairs worth $1,018 each were made. Lil Nas X was planning to select who gets the 666th pair but his plans flopped following Nike’s lawsuit filed on Monday. He is not a defendant in the case.
Nike and MSCHF lawyers did not comment immediately nor did they immediately respond to requests for comment.
MSCHF’s lawyers said Satan Shoes were “not usual sneakers, but rather individually-numbered works of art,” following on the company’s “Jesus Shoes” based on the same Nike model in 2019.
They said that there was no need for a temporary restraining order as shoe buyers would not think Nike was involved, and all but the 666th pair had already been sold and no more were being made.
Nike’s lawyers, in contrast, said MSCHF has a “history” of shipping infringing shoes faster than courts could stop it, and also ‘sneakerheads’ were confused by MSCHF’s shoes.
