Nike Files Trademark Suit Over Lil Nas X's Satan Shoes
March 30 2021 - 10:13AM
Dow Jones News
By Allison Prang
Nike Inc. filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against a small
company that released a customized pair of its sneakers with
satanic themes in collaboration with rapper Lil Nas X.
The red-and-black Satan Shoes caused a social media uproar on
Monday and quickly sold out. The company that released them, MSCHF
Product Studio Inc., said it made 666 pairs and sold them for
$1,018 apiece.
The sneakers have a red liquid in the sole that MSCHF claimed
included a drop of blood. There is a reference to the Bible passage
Luke 10:18 stitched on the side and a bronze pentagram on the
laces.
"The Satan Shoes were produced without Nike's approval or
authorization, and Nike is in no way connected with this project,"
the company said in a statement. The company said it has no
relationship with Lil Nas X or MSCHF.
MSCHF is a small Brooklyn-based company known for publicity
stunts and viral product marketing. Its past projects include a
pair of customized Nike sneakers it said were filled with holy
water and called the Jesus Shoes and an app for stock picking based
on astrological signs. MSCHF didn't immediately respond to requests
for comment.
Lil Nas X on Monday tweeted out about a contest for someone to
win the 666th pair of Satan Shoes. The rapper has also tweeted a
GIF and a short video clip amid the Nike controversy. Lil Nas X
didn't immediately respond to a request on Twitter seeking
comment.
Nike's lawsuit, filed Monday in the U.S. District Court in the
Eastern District of New York, asks a federal judge to prevent MSCHF
from selling customized Nike sneakers and seeks unspecified
financial damages. It doesn't name Lil Nas X, born Montero Lamar
Hill, as a defendant.
"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,"
according to the complaint.
The controversy played out on social media. South Dakota Gov.
Kristi Noem on Twitter criticized the shoes, saying "Our kids are
being told that this kind of product is, not only okay, it's
'exclusive,' " her account said.
Singer Miley Cyrus's Twitter account shared photos on Twitter
where she appears to be wearing the shoes.
Write to Allison Prang at allison.prang@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 30, 2021 09:58 ET (13:58 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2021 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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