Not many moons ago, Lil Nas X and MSCHF’s collaborated ‘Satan Shoes’ made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Footwear giant Nike sued MSCHF for curating a reimagined version of its Nike’s Air Max 97s, infusing added elements like a pentagram pendant, pentagram designs on the heel and an inverted cross on the tongue pull-tab along with a drop of human blood in sole air bubble and biblical imagery of a Bible passage Luke 10:18 that reads, “I Saw Satan Fall Like Lightning From Heaven.”
After Lil Nas came to the defense of his song, shoes and everything about it, Satan shoemaker MSCHF issued a statement in defense of his curation. The label was honestly surprised by Nike’s lawsuit as last year, the footwear label reimagined its Air Max 97’s as ‘Jesus Shoes.’
“Satan is as much part of the art historical canon as Jesus, from Renaissance Hellmouths to Milton,” the statement continued. “Satan exists as the challenger to the ultimate authority. We were delighted to work with Lil Nas X on Satan Shoes and continue this dialogue. We believe it is better to make art that participates directly in its subject matter. It is stronger to do a thing, than to talk about a thing. MSCHF makes artworks that live directly in the systems they critique, instead of hiding inside white-walled galleries.” The statement concluded with MSCHF hoping to work with Nike to resolve this lawsuit. “MSCHF strongly believes in the freedom of expression, and nothing is more important than our ability, and the ability of other artists like us, to continue with our work over the coming years,” it concluded.
(Source- WWD)
