Lil Nas X ‘Satan Shoes’: Nike Denies Involvement In The Design
Rapper Lil Nas X is stirring up some controversy after releasing his latest single, accompanying music video and now a custom Nike sneaker that contains human blood.
The “Old Town Road” artist collaborated with the streetwear company MSCHF on a pair of “Satan Shoes,” NBC News reports. Only 666 pairs will be on sale starting Monday (March 29) and will be sold for $1,018. The shoes are a modified dupe of the Nike Air Max 97s and are decorated with a pentagram pendant and a Bible verse reference to Luke 10:18 about Satan’s fall from heaven.
A drop of human blood, drawn from members of the MSCHF team, is also in the sole of the sneakers, the company told the news outlet on Sunday (March 28).
Nike has quickly distanced itself from the sneaker release after the sneak peek of the release drew outrage over the Psalm Sunday weekend.
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“We do not have a relationship with Little Nas X or MSCHF,” Nike said in a statement, according to the New York Times. “Nike did not design or release these shoes and we do not endorse them.”
The release of Satan Shoes comes shortly after Lil Nas X released his latest single and accompanying music video “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” on Friday (March 26). The visual shows the artist, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, seduced of what looks to be the Garden of Eden before he falls into hell to meet Satan and give him a lap dance.
Since it’s release, the video has been viewed more than 31 million times on YouTube.
In June 2019, Lil Nas X came out as gay via a tweet during Pride Month after he broke records with his breakout single “Old Town Road.”
A similar message is shared in a voiceover in the music video for “Montero.”
"In life, we hide the parts of ourselves we don't want the world to see," he says. "We lock them away. We tell them, 'No.' We banish them. But here, we don't. Welcome to Montero."
The rapper posted a brief YouTube video on March 28 titled “Lil Nas X Apologizes for Satan Shoe,” the thumbnail of the video shows the 21-year-old holding up one of the sneakers. As the rapper starts to speak in what looks to be an advertised apology, the video switches to a clip from “Montero” of the artist giving the devil a lap dance.
Lil Nas X also shared a tweet in defense of his controversial shoe design.
It’s unclear if the Satan Shoes have sold out yet.
