From Big Red Boots to Satan Shoes: 5 wildest MSCHF drops

Feb 17, 2023

Simone Del Rosario Business Correspondent

By Simone Del Rosario (Business Correspondent), Emma Stoltzfus (Editor), Brent Jabbour (Producer)

New York Fashion week wrapped up Wednesday but the hottest fashion trend of the week didn’t hit the runway. The most talked-about wearable sensation is boots made by Brooklyn-based art collective MSCHF. The collective is known for taking shots at consumerism in creative ways. Here are some of the wildest MSCHF drops in this week’s Five for Friday.

#5: Satan Shoes

Sneaker culture is somewhat of a poster child for consumerism habits. After all, hyped sneakers are released in limited quantities and become a status symbol for the lucky people able to get their hands on them. MSCHF took it to a whole new level with the 2021 release of its “Satan Shoes.” MSCHF made just 666 pairs of custom Nike Air Max 97s that had a mixture of blood and ink in the air bubbles. The sneakers were released in collaboration with rapper Lil Nas X following the release of his music video for Montero (Call Me By Your Name), which featured the artist giving a lap dance to the devil. This caused an uproar with people even calling for a Nike boycott in response. But it turns out, Nike wasn’t even in on the collaboration and sued MSCHF. In the end, the art collective settled with the sneaker giant and agreed to refund the $1,018 purchase price for a return.

#4: Cuss Collar

The pet accessories market is expected to reach $42.3 billion by 2026. It makes sense that MSCHF would try to capitalize on the push for outrageous pet products. MSCHF’s Cuss Collar, when strapped on to a dog, emits an audible curse word every time the dog barks. They made sure to note that it’s not intended as a training collar and won’t shock your furry friend. The Cuss Collar retailed for $60 and it sold out immediately.

#3: Jesus Shoes

There’s no Yin without Yang so there can’t be Satan Shoes without Jesus Shoes. The air bubbles in these all-white Nike Air Max 97s were filled with 60 cc of water from the River Jordan that was blessed by a priest. They came well before their counterpart and didn’t gain nearly as much attention as the Satan Shoes. MSCHF said at the time that collaboration culture had gotten out of hand with items like the Adidas x AriZona Iced Tea products. These were made in a very limited quantity at $1,425 per pair. The price was a reference to the Bible verse Matthew 14:25, which was when Jesus walked on water.

#2: Key4All

MSCHF isn’t just about crazy products. Sometimes they like to make a game of things. With Key4All, they sold 1,000 keys to a single car for just $20 each. No one knew the make or model, just that it was left somewhere in New York City. If you had a fob and found the vehicle, it was yours to drive. After starting as an inconspicuous wood-paneled 2008 PT Cruiser, the car is now covered with stickers and graffiti and has traveled throughout the United States. MSCHF says the car will stay out there until it’s destroyed or impounded.

#1: Big Red Boots

The name says it all. MSCHF calls them “cartoon boots for a cool 3D world.” The Big Red Boots were released Thursday with a price tag of $350. They’ve been compared to Astro Boy’s boots and the shape of Apple’s AirPods. MSCHF built up hype for the boots in the last few weeks with celebrities like Diplo, Lil Wayne and NBA player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sporting them in public. They’ve certainly started a lot of internet chatter since being announced.

Tags: Adidas, Nike

SIMONE DEL ROSARIO:

THE BIGGEST FASHION STATEMENT OF THE WEEK DIDN’T HIT THE RUNWAY FOR NEW YORK FASHION WEEK. NO IT’S BOOTS MADE BY BROOKLYN-BASED ART COLLECTIVE MSCHF, WHICH I’LL GET TO SHOWING YOU, STAY TUNED. KNOWN FOR TAKING SHOTS AT CONSUMERISM, WE’VE GOT SOME OF THE WILDEST MSCHF DROPS EVER IN THIS WEEK’S FIVE FOR FRIDAY.

LET’S START WITH SOME FOOTWEAR, BUT NOT *THOSE QUITE YET. MSCHF’S 2021 RELEASE OF ITS “SATAN SHOES” CAUSED QUITE AN UPROAR. THE AIR BUBBLES ON THE CUSTOM NIKE AIR MAX 97S WERE FILLED WITH A MIXTURE OF BLOOD AND INK. 666 PAIRS WERE RELEASED IN COLLAB WITH RAPPER LIL NAS X. TURNS OUT, NIKE WASN’T EVEN IN ON THE BIT AND SUED MSCHF. IN THE END THEY SETTLED AGREEING TO REFUND THE 1-THOUSAND 18-DOLLAR PURCHASE PRICE FOR A RETURN.

THE PET ACCESSORIES MARKET IS EXPECTED TO REACH $42 BILLION BY 2026. SO, WHY NOT CAPITALIZE? THAT’S WHERE MSCHF’S CUSS COLLAR COMES IN. SLAP THIS BAD BOY ON YOUR DOGGO AND EVERY TIME IT BARKS, IT CURSES. (VOX POP – BLEEPED FROM VIDEO) IT’S NOT A TRAINING OR SHOCK COLLAR. BUT IT WILL TEACH YOUR KIDS SWEAR WORDS. NO SURPRISE, IT SOLD OUT IMMEDIATELY.

YOU CAN’T HAVE SATAN SHOES WITHOUT JESUS SHOES. COLLABORATIONS ARE BIG IN THE SNEAKER BIZ, SO MSCHF TOOK ITS SHOT. THESE CAME BEFORE THEIR COUNTERPART. THE ALL WHITE AIR MAX 97S HAD 60 CCS OF WATER FROM THE DIVINE RIVER JORDAN, BLESSED BY A PRIEST. IT DIDN’T GET THE ATTENTION OF THE SATAN SHOES – THAT’S SAYING A MOUTHFUL – BUT IT WAS A LIMITED RUN AND THE $1,425 PRICE TAG WAS A BIT MUCH.

KEY4ALL WAS A GAME FOR THE AGES. MSCHF ONCE SOLD A THOUSAND KEYS TO THE SAME CAR AT 20 BUCKS A POP. NO ONE KNEW THE MAKE OR MODEL, JUST THAT IT WAS DROPPED SOMEWHERE IN NEW YORK CITY. IF YOU BOUGHT A FOB AND FOUND THE CAR, IT WAS YOURS TO DRIVE. THE 2008 PT CRUISER IS NOW COVERED IN GRAFFITI AND HAS TRAVELED THE U-S. MSCHF SAYS IT’LL STAY OUT THERE UNTIL IT’S DESTROYED OR IMPOUNDED.

OK. WE MADE IT TO THE BIG RED BOOTS IN THE ROOM. MSCHF CALLS EM “CARTOON BOOTS FOR A COOL 3-D WORLD.” THEY DROPPED ON THURSDAY FOR $350 BUCKS. AND TO PUSH THE HYPE TRAIN THEY GOT CELEBRITIES WEARING EM ALL AROUND. THEY KIND OF LOOK LIKE BIG RED AIRPODS. AND THEY’RE DEFINITELY SPARKING A LOT OF COMMENTARY.

IT FEELS LIKE MSCHF IS JUST AN ULTRA HYPED, EXPENSIVE VERSION OF SPENCER’S. REMEMBER THAT MALL STORE? OK, MAYBE I’M JUST SHOWING MY AGE. THAT’S FIVE FOR FRIDAY. I’M SIMONE DEL ROSARIO. IT’S JUST BUSINESS.