Lil Nas X had a successful weekend. First, he released his latest song, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” along with a barn-burning video in which he seduces Satan before snapping his neck and grabbing his horns.
But there was more: He was collaborating with the viral brand MSCHF to produce a line of Nike Air Max 97s called “Satan Shoes” not just because of their crimson color scheme, but also because they contain a drop of blood. The shoes have received a mixed reaction. Are you one of the skeptics? Nike is a brand.
According to The New York Times, the shoe giant released a statement distinguishing itself from both the shoe and the young artist. The claim read, “We have no partnership with Little Nas X or MSCHF.” “These shoes were not designed or released by Nike, and we do not support them.”
Despite the fact that the Consumer Product Safety Commission has yet to weigh in on the line’s legal concerns, MSCHF appears to be moving forward with a small number of the redesigned shoe — 666, to be exact — being offered for the exorbitant price of $1,018.
The blood is just a drop, mixed in with the ink that makes up the air bubble in the shoe. And where did it originate? Each member of the MSCHF’s small staff contributed enough to fill the large-ish order. (When asked who procured the blood, one of MSCHF’s founders, Daniel Greenberg told the Times, “Uhhhhhh yeah hahah not medical professionals we did it ourselves lol.”)
Lil Nas X reacted to the backlash with a satirical video in which he starts by apologizing for his involvement in the development of “Satan Shoes,” only for it to suddenly segue into the climax of his latest video, right when he’s begun to gyrate in the Devil’s lap.
