MSCHF sold 665 pairs of Nikes with blood in the sole — and had to buy them all back

MSCHF, the Brooklyn stunt-product studio, modified 666 pairs of Nike Air Max 97s into 'Satan Shoes' with Lil Nas X — a bronze pentagram charm, an inverted cross, and one drop of human blood in the sole — priced at $1,018 each, a reference to a Bible verse about Satan's fall. More than 600 pairs sold before Nike acted.

Nike sued MSCHF for trademark infringement and dilution in the Eastern District of New York, arguing buyers would believe Nike had approved the shoes, and won a temporary restraining order. MSCHF's attorney argued the shoes were 'individually numbered works of art' that had 'already achieved its artistic purpose.'

The parties settled on April 8, 2021: MSCHF voluntarily recalled the Satan Shoes and, with them, its earlier 2019 'Jesus Shoes' (Nikes modified with holy water in the sole), buying back both at original retail price and offering full refunds to any buyer who wanted one.