Ever Fancied Walking on Holy Water? Consider Air Max 97s

Check out these MSCHF x INRI Nike Air Max 97 custom

Sneaker collaborations are nothing new. They have been there for years and are here to stay. This is the reason Kayne West’s Jesus is King merch or Yeezy Line or sneakers that are linked to a movie, TV show, or a celebrity never fail to impress the audience. Even Christian themed sneakers are old news as they sell rapidly too. But what shook the sneakers world recently is the launch of Air Max 97s, shoes that are filled with holy water. 

 

Yes, you read that right. Created by a Brooklyn-based label, MSCHF, the Air Max 97s have an air bubble that’s filled with 60cc of water sourced from River Jordan and blessed. So, when you wear them, you are literally walking on Holy Water as Jesus did. The Air Max 97s also have the phrase INRI (Iesus Nazaraeus Rex Iudaeorum) inscribed on it, that translates to Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews which was written on the sign put on Jesus’ cross. The sneakers’ toe box also has 14:25 inscribed, which is a reference to Mathew 14:25. It’s the passage where Jesus walks on water.

 

People who like sneakers just because they prefer wearing streetwear might like the look of the Air Max 97s. They are white and blue coloured and are sealed with a dot of Papal Red which seems like a nod to the traditional red shoes worn by the clergy. The inner soles are Frankincense-scented and are printed with a crucifix taken from the Papal seal. The seal is also there on the shoebox which also has a print of Albrecht Durer’s 1514 engraving Melencolia I. An eye-catching gold and steel crucifix adorn the laces.

 

MSCHF didn’t create these shoes to make fun of any religion; they were created to poke fun at collab culture, and interesting collabs like the Air Max x Nintendo 64 collab. The Head of Commerce for MSCHF, Daniel Greenberg said “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.”

Interestingly, people took things too seriously as Air Max 97s sold out online instantly and are now fetching up about 8 times the original price, AUD 2000, a price tag they earlier retailed for. Check the listings at StockX and see for yourself.