in reference to religious symbolism and the cult appeal of streetwear, digital culture studio MSCHF has created ‘jesus shoes‘. the design injects 60cc of holy water into the bubble of a air max sole to allow wearers to literally ‘walk on water’ with every step. realized with a somewhat tongue-in-cheek attitude, the shoes utilize the classic NIKE silhouette to investigate ideas of devotion in both religion and commercial products.
all images © catalina kulczar
MSCHF’s jesus shoes execute on a simple but enduring idea: walking on water. this image is immortalized in matthew 14:25, and has been enshrined as a cultural image of divinity. the hollow air max soles popularized by NIKE provided a perfect opportunity to realize this. the bubbles in the soles are filled with 60cc of holy water, originally sourced from the river jordan and subsequently blessed. slight coloring has also been added for visibility and styling.
with every step the wearer literally ‘walks on water’ and the motion of the fluid provides a visual counter to the motion of the shoe
a steel crucifix accent adorns the laces, which may be styled on or off. custom 100% wool insoles reference the lamb of god and are infused with frankincense, one of the three gifts held to be borne by the wise men on the occasion of jesus’ birth. the red of the insoles is inspired by the traditional bright red shoes worn by the pope. additional details include inscriptions of the book+verse (matthew 14:25) in which jesus is originally depicted as ‘walking on the sea,’ as well as the initials INRI (iesus nazaraeus rex iudaeorum) which were inscribed on the cross.
the crucifix accent may be styled on or off
jesus shoes explore the cult nature of streetwear brand loyalty, as well as the styling and rich sartorial traditions of the church. indeed the lasting, rich, symbolism of christianity feels in many ways like the most profound realization of what every logo-centric streetwear brand aspires towards. jesus shoes were created by digital culture studio MSCHF in a limited run dropping tuesday october 8th, 2019.
each sole fills the air max bubble with 60cc of holy water, with additional coloring for visibility and colorway matching
the jesus shoes apply numerous biblical references as modifications to a classic NIKE air max profile
model wears a size 11
it is not inaccurate to summarize streewear’s ultimate aspiration as a conflation of brand, clothing, religion, and cult
clothing and identity have always had devotional aspects
‘matthew 14:25 – shortly before dawn jesus went out to them, walking on the lake’
jesus shoes embody multiple devotional aspects – from the classical religious to the cult of the commercial
modified papal seal for the MSCHF x INRI collab
project info:
project name: jesus shoes
design: MSCHF
designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: lynne myers | designboom
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Curious how MSCHF manage its supplier of holy water 🙂
Was the date to release these
I want them
How do I get a pair
Truely a unique piece of art. Where can I purchase a pair?
Do not pass go. Express lane straight to hell..
How do I get these
How much and where can I get them?
I really want a pair so where can i get them?
Omg were can u grab a pair from need these in my life
I’m an air Max fan n would REALLY LOVE 2 have a pair……the way the water like bubble looks is just AWESOME
One is reminded of the parody shoe, the “Nike Air Jesus” sneakers that allow the wearer to hover in Transmetropolitan.
It’s not a great day when a comic like Transmetropolitan predicts something tonally, but there you go.
Faith comes by hearing…not by sight, nor $3K water filled shoes! That’s Vanity….the devil’s favorite sin!
They are already sold out. They were sold for 3k a pop
the biggest con in human history just stepped up a level !
Come on! I believe Christ wore sandals…..
Holy shit!