What up, fam! We’re back with another KYW Thread today. Y’all know what the discussion has to be at this point. It’s Lil Nas X, MSCHF and those wild-ass devil shoes.
For those of us out of the loop, Nike is actually suing MSCHF for these shoes despite them being a customization that they’d typically let fly.
All week, I’ve been wondering how this case would go. What legal ground would they stand on? How would they build this case? Especially considering the fact that they let the Jesus shoes fly. I’ve also been thinking a ton about how MSCHF probably loves this.
So now, I’m asking you. What are your thoughts on the kicks and the case? How does this all end up? Let me know something!
Said it before and I'll say it again: Gabe (the co-founder of MSCHF) is a mix between a mad scientist and Heath Ledger's Joker. He loves to watch the (corporate) world burn through their guerilla-style drops, and it's honestly refreshing to me to see them.
The Jesus shoe isn't the comparison here, it's Warren Lotas. Lotas and MSCHF both made a LOT of shoes in the run that got them in trouble and they worked real hard to get publicity. This doesn't have anything to do with religious/social content, beyond the fact that it got the shoes more attention.
This also isn't going to impact individual customizers unless they start customizing hundreds or thousands of shoes in a run and getting national attention.
This really could spell bad news for every sneaker/cleat customizer out there if Nike wins this lawsuit, right? Like, dozens of players around the NFL are wearing customized shoes every weekend during the season, and it trickles into pro hoops as well. On top of that, sneaker customization has been a thing for ages. I remember back in the early 2000s people putting Gucci print on their AF1 swooshes, what a time.
I guess I don't really see the end game for Nike here. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe it's rooted homophobia and anti-Blackness, idk. The shoes look dope af though.
I don't know if it necessarily becomes a huge deal for other customizers/athletes that wear customs because I don't know if they'd ever invoke the sort of rage these particular sneakers did.
The thing about it for me is that I don't think this ever becomes a thing if right-wing media doesn't get a hold of it and it becomes this national shock value thing. It got bad enough for Nike to have to distance themselves from it. That's not what we normally see with customs.
I guess my question is, what's the difference, other than a bunch of right wing loons deciding they're mad about this (what are they doing obsessing over Lil Nas X anyway)? I'm not a lawyer, but deciding that one customization crosses the line makes it a lot murkier for everyone else for a legal standpoint.
This is all really interesting to me because this is the intersection of several things. There’s the intellectual property angle for Nike, there’s the backlash from the “satanist” theme, and there’s the fact Lil Nas X is gay. I guess I feel quite uncomfortable this drop has been singled out for action by Nike, I get there’s a lot of controversy but it’s not like they haven’t done controversial things before. I also think these sorts of customs are stuff that should be encouraged, this is the creativity that benefits the community and indeed benefits Nike.
That's the thing about it, right? Nike normally encourages customs like this! That's what makes it so strange to me. I feel like just dropping the statement they did was enough if they felt like they needed to do anything at all. Which...honestly, they didn't! At least not in my opinion.
I think Nike didn’t care much until the public started to accuse Nike of selling the devil’s shoe. Overall, it will be interesting to hear the verdict.
It seems so weird to me that they chose to dive in on this. It's something they really could've just left alone honestly. At least, it feels like it anyway. It would've blown over in a few days.
I don’t see Nike’s case here. Presumably, MSCHF paid for the original product. Isnt it theirs to deface and resell as they please?Now if Nike wins and unintentionally restricts reselling platforms in general, that would make me happy indeed.
Nike claims to celebrate ‘creator culture’ but really only does so on their terms and when it suits them. They started another long news cycle by over reacting to these shoes. Nike shoes don’t come with End User License Agreements that say you can’t modify them. Will they going forward?
What is interesting to me in all this is what the implications might be for the wider customisation market as a whole. Cars, watches, clothes, even homes are re-imagined on the after market.
This feels like the classic MJ quote "Republicans by sneakers too," type thing. Little Nas X isn't apologizing for being gay, he's basking it in (as he should!) and he's also pushing an anti-Christian message (if you're pushing 40 like I am, remember the push back South Park the movie got when Satan and Saddam were screwing as part of the plot?)
A queer friend of mine had, what I think, is the smartest take on that video and it applies to the shoes as well paraphrased: "they like our culture when it's safe. When it's Will and Grace or rainbow flags with a layer of 'please accept us' baked in. The establishment still can't stand to see a gay man loud, proud and dying to fuck."
Said it before and I'll say it again: Gabe (the co-founder of MSCHF) is a mix between a mad scientist and Heath Ledger's Joker. He loves to watch the (corporate) world burn through their guerilla-style drops, and it's honestly refreshing to me to see them.
Step 1: Find the corporate loopholes.
Step 2: Expose it to the heavens.
I can get behind this.
Honestly, it's super dope even tho the shoes creep me out lmao. I love seeing the little guy cause a stir.
The Jesus shoe isn't the comparison here, it's Warren Lotas. Lotas and MSCHF both made a LOT of shoes in the run that got them in trouble and they worked real hard to get publicity. This doesn't have anything to do with religious/social content, beyond the fact that it got the shoes more attention.
This also isn't going to impact individual customizers unless they start customizing hundreds or thousands of shoes in a run and getting national attention.
This really could spell bad news for every sneaker/cleat customizer out there if Nike wins this lawsuit, right? Like, dozens of players around the NFL are wearing customized shoes every weekend during the season, and it trickles into pro hoops as well. On top of that, sneaker customization has been a thing for ages. I remember back in the early 2000s people putting Gucci print on their AF1 swooshes, what a time.
I guess I don't really see the end game for Nike here. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe it's rooted homophobia and anti-Blackness, idk. The shoes look dope af though.
I don't know if it necessarily becomes a huge deal for other customizers/athletes that wear customs because I don't know if they'd ever invoke the sort of rage these particular sneakers did.
The thing about it for me is that I don't think this ever becomes a thing if right-wing media doesn't get a hold of it and it becomes this national shock value thing. It got bad enough for Nike to have to distance themselves from it. That's not what we normally see with customs.
I guess my question is, what's the difference, other than a bunch of right wing loons deciding they're mad about this (what are they doing obsessing over Lil Nas X anyway)? I'm not a lawyer, but deciding that one customization crosses the line makes it a lot murkier for everyone else for a legal standpoint.
This is all really interesting to me because this is the intersection of several things. There’s the intellectual property angle for Nike, there’s the backlash from the “satanist” theme, and there’s the fact Lil Nas X is gay. I guess I feel quite uncomfortable this drop has been singled out for action by Nike, I get there’s a lot of controversy but it’s not like they haven’t done controversial things before. I also think these sorts of customs are stuff that should be encouraged, this is the creativity that benefits the community and indeed benefits Nike.
That's the thing about it, right? Nike normally encourages customs like this! That's what makes it so strange to me. I feel like just dropping the statement they did was enough if they felt like they needed to do anything at all. Which...honestly, they didn't! At least not in my opinion.
I think Nike didn’t care much until the public started to accuse Nike of selling the devil’s shoe. Overall, it will be interesting to hear the verdict.
It seems so weird to me that they chose to dive in on this. It's something they really could've just left alone honestly. At least, it feels like it anyway. It would've blown over in a few days.
100%.
MSCHF has us all talking, even non sneakerheads LMAO! Good job to that marketing team.
This is what they thrive off of, man. It's really incredible.
I don’t see Nike’s case here. Presumably, MSCHF paid for the original product. Isnt it theirs to deface and resell as they please?Now if Nike wins and unintentionally restricts reselling platforms in general, that would make me happy indeed.
Nike claims to celebrate ‘creator culture’ but really only does so on their terms and when it suits them. They started another long news cycle by over reacting to these shoes. Nike shoes don’t come with End User License Agreements that say you can’t modify them. Will they going forward?
What is interesting to me in all this is what the implications might be for the wider customisation market as a whole. Cars, watches, clothes, even homes are re-imagined on the after market.
I guess ‘Christians’ buy sneakers too!
This feels like the classic MJ quote "Republicans by sneakers too," type thing. Little Nas X isn't apologizing for being gay, he's basking it in (as he should!) and he's also pushing an anti-Christian message (if you're pushing 40 like I am, remember the push back South Park the movie got when Satan and Saddam were screwing as part of the plot?)
A queer friend of mine had, what I think, is the smartest take on that video and it applies to the shoes as well paraphrased: "they like our culture when it's safe. When it's Will and Grace or rainbow flags with a layer of 'please accept us' baked in. The establishment still can't stand to see a gay man loud, proud and dying to fuck."