A pair of $3,000 (£2,453) trainers dubbed ‘Jesus Shoes’ that contain holy water have sold out minutes after being made available to purchase.
The controversial shoes, which are the brainchild of Brooklyn-based creative label MSCHF, were released online on Tuesday.
The repurposed Nike Air Max 97s trainers, which were bought at retail value, have been transformed to make several references to Jesus Christ, although Nike has no affiliation with the creation.
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Not only do the shoes contain holy water in the soles that came from the Jordan River and was blessed by a priest, but a crucifix has also been placed on top of the laces on the right trainer.
A verse from the Bible is also referenced on the side of the shoe, Matthew 14:25, while a drop of red ink that symbolises the blood of Christ is visible on the tongue of the trainer.
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The biblical verse featured in the design references the act of Jesus Christ walking on water.
Daniel Greenberg, head of commerce at MSCHF, explained the brand was intrigued by the idea of “collab culture.”
“We thought of that Arizona Iced Tea and Adidas collab, where they were selling shoes that [advertised] a beverage company that sells iced tea at bodegas,” Greenberg told the New York Post.
“So we wanted to make a statement about how absurd collab culture has gotten.”
And so, MSCHF imagined what a fashion collaboration in 2019 would look like with “one of the most influential figures in history.”
© Provided by Independent Digital News & Media Limited ‘Jesus Shoes’ (MSCHF)
“We were wondering, what would a collab with Jesus Christ look like?” Greenberg said.
“As a Jew myself, the only thing I knew was that he walked on water,” hence the inclusion of holy water in the soles of the shoes.
Several people expressed their astonishment over the creation.
“So, Jesus Shoes are a thing that exists. They have water from the river Jordan in the sole. I have no words,” a Twitter user wrote.
One critic described the footwear as “degrading and disrespectful.”
While the trainers promptly sold out, MSCHF states on its website that new creations devised by the brand will be released online every second and fourth Tuesday of the month.
Source: msn