Unauthorized baskets, which contain a drop of blood and cost $ 1,018, soldues in less than a minute last month.
A Brooklyn company that was sued by Nike for the sale Unauthorized Satan Shoes - a spare sneaker that contains a drop of blood and was promoted by rapper Lil Nas X - agreed on Thursday to accept the return of the shoes as part of a settlement.
The company, MSCHF, will offer refunds to people who wish to return the sneakers under the terms of the settlement, according to Nike, which said in a statement that the goal of the “voluntary recall” was to remove the shoes from circulation.
The settlement comes a week after a Brooklyn U.S. District Court judge granted Nike a temporary restraining order against MSCHF (mischief pronounced) after having the company sued last month . A total of 666 pairs of Satan shoes were produced by MSCHF, which incorporated drops of blood and ink from its employees in an air bubble in the Nike Air Max 97 sneakers. Each pair costs $ 1,018. They sold out in less than a minute last month.
Many highly sought after sneakers were quickly offered for sale on auction sites like eBay for three or four times the original price, apparently making it less likely that buyers ask for a refund.
A salt ler was looking for $ 15,000 for a pair of size 8 Satan shoes, featuring the Nike swoosh logo and a silver charm. bronze in the shape of a pentagram. "Luke 10:18 - a reference to the biblical passage which says: " I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven "- is imprinted on it.
A previous line of unauthorized Nike sneakers sold by MSCHF, which was called the Jesus shoe and contained holy water, may also be returned for a refund, Nike said.
"In both cases, MSCHF modified these shoes without permission from Nike " Nike said in a statement Thursday. "Nike had nothing to do with the Satan shoes or the Jesus shoes.
An MSCHF lawyer did not dispute that the company had agreed to the voluntary buyout, but said on Thursday it could not "Withthese Satan Shoes - which sold out in less than a minute - MSCHF intended to comment on the absurdity of the collaborative culture practiced by some brands, and the perniciousness of intolerance, ”said lawyer David H. Bernstein Thursday in an email.
The collaboration between Lil Nas X and MSCHF coincided with the release of the rapper from a target music video for his song Montero (Call me by your name) ", in which he turns on Satan's lap.
In the song, Lil Nas X , who was born Montero Lamar Hill, happily rejoices in his lust as a gay man "wrote Jon Pareles, chief music critic for Hfrance .Fr.
Lil Nas X was released in 2019 . the song is an apparent reference to "Call Me by Your Nom," a novel about a clandestine summer romance between two men that has been adapted in film .
Mr. Bernstein said all pairs of Satan shoes except one were shipped to buyers before the temporary restraining order was issued on April 1.
He described the sneakers, which are individually numbered, as works of art that represent the ideals of equality and inclusion. Bernstein said that MSCHF looks forward to arguing that its activities are covered by the First Amendment right of artistic expression.
"However, having already achieved his artistic goal, MSCHF recognized that the settlement was the best way to allow him to put this lawsuit behind so that he could devote his time to new artistic and expressive projects, ”he said.
Nike has stated that it would not be responsible for issues with sneakers that people choose to keep.
" Buyers who choose not to return their shoes and later encounter a product problem, defect or health problem should contact MSCHF Nike, ”the company said.
