Nike Sue Over Lil Nas X "Satan Shoes" Air Max Customs

After immediately selling out upon their release earlier today, Nike have pursued legal action against Lil Nas X and MSCHF's "Satan Shoes" Air Max customs.

The shoe - which was never billed as an official collaboration with Nike - used the Nike Air Max 97 as a base for the Satan-themed customisation.

Expanding on the themes of Lil Nas X's recently dropped MONTERO video, the shoe is adorned with devilish iconography including a bronze pentagram at the lace lock and an air unit filled with "60cc ink and one drop of human blood".

After selling out all 666 pairs upon their release today, it has come to light that Nike have filed a "trademark infringement and dilution, false designation of origin, and unfair competition" lawsuit against MSCHF over the Satan Shoes in a New York federal court.

Having already issued a statement over the weekend denying their involvement, Nike again assert in their complaint that the shoe was launched without their "approval or authorization" and that they are "in no way connected with the project".

The custom shoe was created in collaboration with MSCHF who have been responsible for a number of "absurd, cynical, and viral" projects in the past. The much-discussed drop of human blood added to the red fluid in the shoe's Air unit allegedly comes "courtesy of the MSCHF team", says founding team member Daniel Greenberg.

"Boycott Nike"

Fashion & Law commentator The Fashion Law explains in their coverage of the case that Nike have filed the suit in response to a negative backlash from some members of the public who have confused the project with a Nike-endorsed one.

The filing includes examples of the negative response from some on social media due to the confusion, including calls to "boycott Nike" and stating that they "never want to purchase any Nike products in the future”.

The suit seeks to "immediately and permanently stop MSCHF from fulfilling all orders for its unauthorized Satan shoes", casting doubt on whether customers will ever receive any purchased pairs.

With the shoes having already been released and entirely sold out, it remains to be seen what steps will be taken to resolve the situation to Nike's satisfaction.