Has Lil Nas X Sold His Sole to the Devil With This Shoe Collaboration?

The answer to whether the Nike Satan sneakers are real or fake was initially difficult to discern. TMZ reports that the sneakers will be limited edition and a collaboration with the brand MSCHF, a company known for their limited release prank items such as Nike sneakers filled with holy water and an app for making stock investments based on your astrological sign. 

In an interview with Business Insider, the company's CEO and founder Gabriel Whaley says he prefers to not put a label on MSCHF's brand. "A brand of what? I don't know. Being a company kills the magic. We're trying to do stuff that the world can't even define." Gabriel is an enigma himself, being a West Point Military Academy dropout and briefly working for BuzzFeed. He officially launched MSCHF in 2016. 

As of 2020, MSCHF had only 10 employees. Their products do exist, but Daniel Greenberg, the head of commerce, insists, "If we can make people a fan of the brand and not the product, we can do whatever the f--k we want. We build what we want. We don't care." 

MSCHF's motto would align well with Lil Nas X's controversial music video; some people can't see past the metaphor of Lil Nas X's sexuality being seen as "a sin" and being fixated on Satan.

A report from Page Six gives more details on the shoes themselves, including what they look like and the best place to purchase them. The shoes are re-styled Nike Air Max '97 shoes, "[C]oming in a limited edition stock of 666 pairs, each individually numbered “x/666” in red embroidery. The kicks will also contain 66 CCs of red ink, as well as one drop of human blood." 

It looks like the shoes are very real if you're willing to pay an exorbitant price (and hope that you're not the 667th person to reach the website.) Those complaining online about the themes of the music video seem to be driving the shoe's popularity, although Nike has publicly denied anything to do with the shoes.

Nike's statement on the Satan shoes is as follows: “We do not have a relationship with Little Nas X or MSCHF. Nike did not design or release these shoes and we do not endorse them.”

Additional description of the shoes shows that stylizations on the shoe also include, "Bible scripture Luke 10:18 is also emblazoned on the side. The passage references Satan’s banishment from heaven. There are also upside-down crosses and a pentagram attached to the shoe laces, as well as printed on it’s sole." 

The price of the sneakers is $1,018, and they go live on Mar. 29, 2021 at 11 a.m. ET. You can order exclusively through the MSCHF app.