MSCHF, the art company that made Lil Nas X’s unauthorized Satan Shoes, now has to pay for its sins. The New York Times reported that the company is offering refunds to any of the 666 buyers who want to return the shoes, after Nike filed a lawsuit on March 29 claiming the shoes, especially with their prominent swoosh logo, falsely associated MSCHF with Nike. The shoes sold out nearly immediately, going for $1,018 each, alongside the rollout for Lil Nas X’s equally sinful No. 1 single “Montero (Call Me by Your Name),” with the promise that each pair contained a drop of blood. Now, the exclusive shoes are being resold for significantly more, and as part of MSCHF’s settlement, Nike was released from responsibility for issues with shoes that buyers decide to keep.
Responding to the news on Thursday night — hours before his birthday, no less — Lil Nas X tweeted, “y’all keep streaming call me by your name so i can pay for this damn nike lawsuit 😩.” MSCHF, for its part, wouldn’t disclose the terms of the settlement. A lawyer for the company simply told the Times MSCHF “intended to comment on the absurdity of the collaboration culture practiced by some brands, and about the perniciousness of intolerance,” adding that the company believes it has “already achieved its artistic purpose.” Now, it’s all on 666 sinners to feel called by a higher purpose to return those shoes.
