Nike settles with MSCHF over ‘Satan Shoes,’ wants pairs bought back

Nike has settled its lawsuit against MSCHF over the controversial “Satan Shoe” it released in collaboration with rapper Lil Nas X. As part of the settlement, MSCHF has agreed to recall the shoes from buyers, as well as the “Jesus Shoes” it previously made. Yahoo Finance first reported on the news.

“In both cases, MSCHF altered these shoes without Nike’s authorization. Nike had nothing to do with the Satan Shoes or the Jesus Shoes,” a spokesperson for Nike told Input. “Today, April 8th, Nike and MSCHF have agreed to settle the lawsuit. As part of the settlement, Nike has asked MSCHF, and MSCHF has agreed, to initiate a voluntary recall to buy back any Satan Shoes and Jesus Shoes for their original retail prices, in order to remove them from circulation.”

Coveted product — Like its name suggests, MSCHF has made itself known over the years by releasing outlandish limited edition products, like a $76,000 Birkenstock sandal made from real Hermès Birkin bags. With the “Satan Shoe,” the firm took things quite a step further, taking a pair of Nike Air Max 97s and adding a drop of real human blood to the limited edition shoe. Only 666 pairs were made at a price of $1,018, a play on the biblical quote Luke 10:18 that appears on the side of the shoe to honor Lucifer.

Nike’s settlement only says that MSCHF will initiate a “voluntary recall” to buy back the Satan Shoes and Jesus Shoes from buyers. But there’s no doubt the limited release with Lil Nas X, along with the controversy, will ramp up the value of the kicks. MSCHF’s products have become coveted for being not only rare and exclusive but also “banned.”

In its full statement, Nike said:

On March 29th, Nike filed a lawsuit against MSCHF over its release of Satan Shoes, which used a Nike Air Max 97 as the base. MSCHF also previously released Jesus Shoes, which used a Nike Air Max 97 as the base. In both cases, MSCHF altered these shoes without Nike’s authorization. Nike had nothing to do with the Satan Shoes or the Jesus Shoes. Today, April 8th, Nike and MSCHF have agreed to settle the lawsuit. As part of the settlement, Nike has asked MSCHF, and MSCHF has agreed, to initiate a voluntary recall to buy back any Satan Shoes and Jesus Shoes for their original retail prices, in order to remove them from circulation. If any purchasers were confused, or if they otherwise want to return their shoes, they may do so for a full refund. Purchasers who choose not to return their shoes and later encounter a product issue, defect, or health concern should contact MSCHF, not Nike. The parties are pleased to put this dispute behind them.

Ironic — Back in 2007, Nike itself planned on celebrating Halloween with a pair of custom SB Dunk Lows inspired by Freddy Krueger’s trademark sweater from Nightmare on Elm Street. But the producers of the movie sent a cease and desist letter to Nike, forcing the company to cancel the release after it already began production. Some of the shoes made it out into the wild and are now worth tens of thousands of dollars. The company was recently called out by the USPS for making a shoe inspired by the USPS Priority Mail envelope.

Brand protection — Nike didn’t file a lawsuit after MSCHF’s release of “Jesus Shoe,” but it seems like the satanic connection caused too much controversy for it to look the other way. “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,” the lawsuit argued. It also included screenshots of users on Instagram saying they’d never buy from Nike again following MSCHF’s release, not realizing it was an unauthorized collaboration.

There’s concern now that Nike will crack down on other unauthorized customizations following the Satan Shoe situation.