Nike has denied any involvement in Lil Nas X's collab with MSCHF for a new Air Max '97 that is being referred to as "Satan's Shoes" and reportedly contains a drop of blood in the midsole. The sneakers have been a target of right-wing pundits and politicians who have criticized Nas for "destroying our youth," as Candice Owens puts it.
"We do not have a relationship with Little Nas X or MSCHF," Nike said in a statement. "Nike did not design or release these shoes and we do not endorse them."
The announcement of Nas's new sneakers come just days after releasing the single "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)." The song is accompanied by a music video that features satanic themes.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem called out Nas, implying that the sneaker is corrupting kids' "God-given eternal soul."
"Our kids are being told that this kind of product is, not only okay, it's 'exclusive.' But do you know what's more exclusive? Their God-given eternal soul," Noem wrote on Twitter in response to the sneakers. "We are in a fight for the soul of our nation. We need to fight hard. And we need to fight smart. We have to win."
Nas fired back with several tweets of his own.
[Via]