Apparel company Nike wins the battle against the devil as it obtains a temporary restraining order (TRO) against art collective MSCHF. The TRO, issued by the Eastern District Court of New York on Wednesday, blocked all sales of Lil Nas X’s “Satan Shoes.”
Early this week, 665 pairs of sneakers with Nike’s logo sold out in less than a minute. The 666th pair, to be given away by entering a contest, could be won by a lucky fan. The issuance of the TRO, however, banned the Brooklyn-based company from further fulfilling the orders.
These controversial shoes, created by MSCHF, were a customized Nike Air Max ‘97, which has the number 666, a bronze pentagram, and a Luke 10:18 Bible passage written on them. They were also reported to contain a drop of human blood in the sole.
The price of the sneakers, $1,018, was in reference to the said Bible verse, which mentions the words “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” The release of the sneakers was a promotion of Lil Nas X’s latest song and music video, Montero (Call Me by Your Name), where the rapper is seen descending to hell through a stripper pole and giving a two-horned devil a lap dance.
As reported by CNN, Nike claims to have no part in designing, releasing, or endorsing the Satanic shoes, denying any collaboration with either the rapper or the streetwear company. “We do not have a relationship with Lil Nas or MSCHF. Nike did not design or release these shoes and we do not endorse them,” Nike maintains.
In its lawsuit filed against MSCHF on Monday, the leading sportswear brand argued that “MSCHF and its unauthorised Satan Shoes are likely to cause confusion and dilution and create an erroneous association between MSCHF’s products and Nike,” claiming there already is “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.”
“As a direct and proximate result of MSCHF’s wrongful acts, Nike has suffered, continues to suffer, and/or is likely to suffer damage to its trademarks, business reputation, and goodwill that money cannot compensate,” the lawsuit continued. “Unless enjoined, MSCHF will continue to use Nike’s Asserted Marks and/or confusingly similar marks and will cause irreparable damage to Nike for which Nike has no adequate remedy at law.”
Meanwhile, many Christians and conservatives have condemned the shoes for being offensive and immoral. In a Facebook post, Samaritan’s Purse head Franklin Graham called the “Satan Shoes” a “dangerous marketing endeavor.”
“The morals in this country have fallen so fast, and many times the entertainment industry is leading the way. The Word of God says, ‘And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell’ (Matthew 10:28). Hell is a real place, and so is the eternal torment of those who reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior,” he added.
Bob Reccord, Total Life Impact Ministries Inc.’s founder and chairman and Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board’s former head, gave a statement to The Christian Post. “Do not dismiss God’s punishment when they choose to abandon the God who had done so much for them, and his anger burned against them … I sincerely hope the world is watching—and praying for America,” he said.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, on the other hand, expressed her lament on Twitter. According to her, people need to “fight hard for the soul of our nation,” giving a reminder: “We have to win.”
Den of Faith 