American rapper Lil Nas X released a controversial pair of sneakers, called the “Satan Shoes”, and they sold out within a minute! The shoes were made in collaboration with New York-based art collective MSCHF using Nike Air Max 97. 

However, Nike has distanced itself from the sneaker’s design, which features a pentagram, an inverted cross and a drop of real human blood, saying in an emailed statement to CNN that it was not involved in creating the shoes. 

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“We do not have a relationship with Lil Nas or MSCHF. Nike did not design or release these shoes and we do not endorse them,” the company said. 

MSCHF confirmed on Monday that the first “drop” of 666 pairs, priced at a whopping $1,018 each, were sold out within a minute. 

The price tag is also a reference to a passage in the Bible – Luke 10:18 – that reads, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven”. 

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MSCHF further stated that the air bubble sole in each shoe contains 60 cubic centimetres of red ink, including “one drop” of human blood. The group confirmed that the blood had been provided by its member, adding, “We love to sacrifice for our art”. 

The shoes were the subject of widespread online criticism over the weekend, with evangelical pastor Mark Burns describing them as “evil” and “heresy”.