Nike has obtained a temporary restraining order against the company that collaborated with artist Lil Nas X to sell “Satan Shoes,” a pair of modified Air Max 97s decorated with a bronze pentagram and a drop of real human blood.
A US District Court in New York granted Nike’s request this week against streetwear company MSCHF, preventing the company from fulfilling the rest of its orders of the shoes. Nike filed a lawsuit against the company Monday.
The black and red shoes, which also feature a Bible verse, Luke 10:18 – “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” – were created as a collaboration between the rapper and the streetwear brand to coincide with the release of his music video “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)”. Nike, headquartered near Beaverton, quickly distanced itself from the release.
Nike claimed the shoes were likely to cause confusion or cause fans of Nike to believe it worked with MSCHF to create the shoe, Nike said in the complaint.
Nike also once again mentioned that despite its signature Nike swoosh being on the shoe, the company was not involved in the creation of the sneaker and does not endorse them.
MSCHF released a limited-edition drop of 666 pairs of the rare sneakers, which sold out in less than a minute. They were priced at $1,018 a pair.
The movement to stop MSCHF from shipping the shoes to customers has already passed, according to MSCHF lawyer Megan K. Bannigan. The company had sent out at least 200 pairs by the time Nike formally requested the restraining order – all but one pair of the shoes have already shipped to owners.
“All of the shoes that were sold and that have been sold in this limited edition have already gone out,” she said Thursday.
Nike promptly asked US District Judge Eric Komittee to order a recall of the custom Air Max 97 sneakers, but the request was denied.
Judge Komittee wrote in the order that despite Nike being granted the temporary restraining order, MSCHF can still attempt to prove that the shoes are protected under the First Amendment for “rights of artistic expression.” Until that occurs, the last pair of the sneakers cannot be distributed. MSCHF planned to raffle off the final pair this week.
Although Nike can’t eliminate the shoes from the market, the lawsuit sends a warning shot to other companies in the sneaker industry looking to do similar collaborations in the future.
