The Nike and MSCHF’s feud over Lil Nas X’s ‘Satan Shoes’keeps unfolding. Now, the sports giant has secured a temporary restraining order, which effectively blocks all sales – CBS News reported on April 1.
According to the CBS News report, the restraining order prevents MSCHF from fulfilling any of the orders – though MSCHF claims most of the orders have already been shipped. Nike is reportedly asking MSCHF to stop orders currently being delivered and recover them. Prior to escalating to getting the restraining order, Nike had made clear they had no affiliation whatsoever with the shoes and filed a lawsuit against the Brooklyn-based art collective. The shoes were originally released in a limited run of 666 pairs. 665 were sold via the ‘Satan Shoes’ website and Lil Nas X was supposed to select the winner of the final pair via a giveaway on social media on Thursday, April 1.
“Sorry guys I’m legally not allowed to give the 666th pair away anymore because of the crying nerds on the internet,” Lil Nas X tweeted on April 1. “I haven’t been upset until today, I feel like it’s they have so much power they can get shoes cancelled. Freedom of expression gone out the window. but that’s gonna change soon,” he added in a second one. Per CBS News, MSCHF claimed the shoes were to be interpreted as ‘art’ during a court hearing. Lawyers reportedly alluded to the ‘Jesus Shoe’s, a similar, companion piece, to illustrate the use of Nike products with similar intent and that did not face a lawsuit.
“Heresy only exists in relation to doctrine,” MSCHF reportedly told CBS News in a statement. “Who is Nike to censor one but not the other?”