A limited-edition Nike Air Max 97 trainer filled with water from the Jordan River in the soles has been released by Brooklyn-based company MSCHF. The trainers have been called "Jesus Shoes", and despite a price tag of $3,000 per pair, the shoes have sold out within minutes.
The trainers are injected with 60 ccs of water from the Jordan River and are reportedly blessed by a priest. However, fewer than two-dozen pairs of the "MSCHF x INRI Jesus Shoes" have been made. The INRI part of the name represents the Latin inscription which translates to "Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews."
The trainers have been design from the all-white Nike Air Max 97s, however, Nike is not affiliated with the creation of the limited edition shoe.
It has been reported that MSCHF designers bought the trainers at retail value and then re-purposed them with a hand-created design. They have said their the hope is that the MSCHF x INRI trainer would give the illusion of "walking on water" as Jesus did.
The water has been injected into the sole of the shoes, and has been give a blue colouring to enhance visibility.
The trainers also have been printed with the Bible verse from Matthew 14:25, which records the story of Jesus walking on water.
Various other Christian symbols are also featured on the trainers; a single red dot symbolizing Jesus' blood, frankincense-scented insoles, and a crucifix attached to the laces.
Head of commerce, Daniel Greenberg, told the New York Post: "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. So we wanted to make a statement about how absurd collab culture has gotten. We were wondering, what would a collab with Jesus Christ look like?
"As a Jew myself, the only thing I knew was that he walked on water."
The trainers were posted Tuesday on retail site StockX but immediately sold out. MSCHF have now announced that they'll be making biweekly "drops" at every second and fourth Tuesday of each month.
