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Facebook posts

stated on March 27, 2021 in Facebook posts:

Nike and Lil Nas X are launching “demonic shoes” containing human blood.

Lil Nas X accepts the award for top hot 100 song for "Old Town Road"at the Billboard Music Awards on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Image)

By Noah Y. Kim March 29, 2021

Did the devil go down to Nike? No. Nike says it’s not involved with Lil Nas X’s satanic shoes.

If Your Time is short

• Lil Nas X and a Brooklyn arts collective called MSCHF are releasing adapted Nike shoes that feature Satan references and a drop of human blood mixed into the sole.

• Nike isn’t partnering with Lil Nas X on the project. A Nike spokesperson told us that the company did not design or release the shoes and doesn’t endorse them.

See the sources for this fact-check

Social media users are claiming that Nike sold its sole to rapper Lil Nas X on the heels of Palm Sunday.

"Nike & Lil Nas X will launch their new demonic shoes on March 29, 2021 for $1,018 USD," reads a Facebook post that goes on to describe a shoe design that includes human blood in the sole. "We are living in the last days. The devil is no longer hiding."

The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

The claim references the new kicks being released by Lil Nas X and the Brooklyn arts collective known as MSCHF. The shoes are covered in satanic references: 666 pairs of the limited edition shoe will be sold. Each will be branded with the number ‘666’ and a quote from Luke 10:18, the Bible verse that depicts Satan’s fall from heaven. There will be a pentagram on the shoelace, and a drop of human blood, drawn from members of the MSCHF team, will be mixed into the sole.

The shoes caused an uproar on social media, with South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem calling them "outrageous, disgusting and perverted" on Twitter.

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In response, Lil Nas X posted a satirical apology to YouTube that included a clip from the music video to his song "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)," which features him giving Satan a lap dance.

But Nike isn’t partnering with Lil Nas X on the project.

Viral image

stated on October 15, 2024 in a Threads post

Photo shows Vice President Kamala Harris and Sean “Diddy” Combs.

"We do not have a relationship with Lil Nas X or MSCHF," Nike told us in a statement. "Nike did not design or release these shoes and we do not endorse them."

The shoes are not a new release by the corporation, but a custom adaptation of an existing Nike product: Nike Air Max 97s.

This claim might sound outlandish, but most of it accurately describes a new limited edition shoe released by Lil Nas X and MSCHF. However, Nike isn’t involved, and the company has sought to distance itself from the project.

Half True.