GREATEST: Shoe Surgeon
Dominic Chambrone, better known as The Shoe Surgeon, invites us to one of his sneaker school workshops in Downtown Los Angeles.
Students partake in a beginner's intensive course led by The Shoe Surgeon with a focus on deconstructing and reconstructing sneakers.
There was such a want and need from people to learn. I did the first sneaker school and I just remember having a good time with students and connecting.
Shoe Surgeon
Dominic, you’re a self-taught artist with over 15 years of dedication to mastering your craft as a shoemaker and cobbler, who also has the ability to make a shoe from complete scratch. Taking it back from the start, we have to ask – do you still have the pair of the airbrushed Nike Air Force 1 Mids from high school?
Haha, no I really wish I did. Or at least a photo. But I think the following week I cleaned them and painted something new.
What effect did that first pair of AF1 Mids you airbrushed have on you?
It was that first pair of airbrushed AF1 Mids. I wore them to school and got such a good response from my friends and fellow classmates. When I got a good reaction from them, it just clicked. I needed to create shoes.
What was the significance of wanting to customize your shoes in high school?
I didn’t want the same shoes everyone else had. Shoes were the one thing that helped me express myself but it never made sense that I had the same pair everyone else had.
How did your natural progression of experimenting with paint, lasering, cutting fabrics, and gluing materials onto shoes continue after high school? Do you still have that first sewing machine your grandmother gave you as a gift?
Honestly, it was a slow progression in my opinion, but I was searching for something that didn’t really exist yet and that’s what took me so long to get to where I am now. That’s why I teach it now. It helps push and evolve the craft. And yes, I think my mother still has that sewing machine from my grandmother.
For those who don’t know already, you spent five years doing shoe repairs, boot soles, fixing shoes, etc. You sought out information on how to work with shoes and the basics of shoe cobbling the old-fashioned way - by approaching shoe repair shops near your hometown. You were rejected by some cobblers before you finally started learning the ins and outs of the trade through Daryl Fazio. Can you tell us more about what your time working with Mr. Fazio was like?
It was unique. He helped me understand more than just fixing shoes - from how to talk to people, customers coming in, and work ethic. It was fun because each day was different. Daryl taught me a great deal about integrity – about doing whatever it took to complete a project; making sure that it was completed according to my standards; not just rushing to sacrifice the work. He taught me the importance of taking care of my customers and their shoes, because for a lot of people, they aren't just shoes. They mean enough to get repaired. And in my case, it is a huge financial commitment.
How was it also having Mr. Fazio come and speak to your students at your recent sneaker school workshop in Los Angeles in September 2017?
This was pretty amazing to me. It was really a dream come true. I haven’t seen him in a couple years, so it was really good to have him there and helped bring up old memories. I realized more of where I came from and what I went through. I tend to forget and just focus on the now and the future, never the past. But I do think it’s important to remember where you came from and all of the things you went through to get to where you are today.
As equally astounding as the work you’ve become known for – working with exotic luxury materials and the complex deconstruction and reconstruction of sneakers – is the natural curiosity and ongoing trials and errors you endured to get you to where you are now. Have you ever experienced any extreme setbacks that may have caused you to doubt wanting to continue working as a shoe artisan?
Yes, of course there were so many. I was diagnosed bipolar, so I was on many meds and was practically a zombie for a couple of years. I didn’t really want to be alive. The pills the doctor said I had to take for the rest of my life really fucked me up. The worst part is they said, "You have to take them the rest of your life." That’s more depressing than being depressed. There were so many other "setbacks," but it was really me just needing to overcome the biggest obstacle, which was myself.
Do you still feel like the shoe cobbler industry is an old dying business?
Shoe repair definitely is. But shoemaking is making a comeback, especially in the United States. People seem to be learning to appreciate handcrafted items more recently. Not just with shoes, but with beer, food, leather goods, watches – everything. People are appreciating handcrafted, limited goods more than mass-produced machine-made goods.
Whereas you were rejected by a couple shoe repair owners back when you were first getting started, you’ve come full circle, now offering your very own five-day Shoe Surgeon Sneaker School workshops. How did you decide you wanted to start offering these sneaker workshops?
There was such a want and need from people to learn. I did the first sneaker school and I just remember having a good time with students and connecting. It was a good feeling, so I’ve continued with it. I would rather people make shoes the right way and not the other way.
What’s the general curriculum of each day at your sneaker school?
It’s a five-day intensive beginner class currently, where students get to learn the ins and outs of what I do from deconstructing, sewing, to every process.
What has it been like working with students who travel from all over the globe to reserve a space at your sneaker school? I met Helgile, the 16-year-old student from Iceland, who
started a petition so he could take your class and fund his flight.
It’s amazing. My most recent class was in Holland, but I’ve had students from L.A., Mexico, Spain, Italy, Dubai and more. This was the first class with 50/50 male and female. I really enjoy meeting new people and connecting.
I think it's amazing how a 16-year-old kid from Iceland didn’t let the price of the class or travel get in his way of taking the class. He made it happen by sponsorships. Most people just complain. He will be successful. I’m honored to have had him in my class.
Can you give us some insight on the following notable custom shoes you’ve done - like the 'What the Scrap' Custom Air Jordan 1s from February 2017?
I have so much scrap leather and I don’t like to waste, so I decided to release scrap leather AJ1s to create a unique shoe and utilize waste. It actually costs more to use scrap since it takes more time to cut from different scrap pieces.
The 'Misplaced Checks' from May 2015?
This shoe changed the industry. I’m grateful to have built a relationship with John Geiger and help bring his vision to life. This was a crucial shoe to have something fun in the sneaker world again.
The 'Banned' Air Jordan 1s with pony leather & black nubuck from April 2017?
I get tired of using exotics so using pony hair was just something I envisioned for awhile. I had the opportunity and made it happen.
Are there any custom shoes aside from the ones above that you are exceptionally drawn to?
I think each pair is more about the process and continuing to make a better quality shoe every time. It’s not just about the materials or look, but more so real quality; meaning a really high-quality shoe that will last forever.
What is it like now to be working directly with brands like Adidas, Nike, and Jordan Brand, whose shoes you’ve been working with since you were 15? Most recently you did a workshop with Jordan Brand for the Air Jordan 13 in Chicago.
It’s amazing. I mean I’ve always had big dreams, but when I stopped just dreaming and actually doing more, everything became a reality. Working with them is more of a handshake, like you’ve been doing the right thing. Everything I do is for the culture and more about the youth rather than the brands. I respect each brand, and if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be doing what I'm doing. But I think it’s a mutual respect thing.
How has your work as The Shoe Surgeon changed over the years? Are you still able to maintain the amount of custom orders coming in as well as the limited shoe releases you’ve been steadily offering?
It keeps growing. I’ve been focusing on my eye for detail and people see that. I’m teaching people how to do it so they can also grow as individuals or as a business.
How do you balance your commercial work with staying creative?
We are always doing something different. We work with so many brands, corporate and independent. We never get comfortable. We are always focusing on quality, and always working on personal side projects.
Does traveling help you keep a fresh perspective?
Traveling helps perspective but so does spending my time with my family. I think you can find a fresh perspective from many places. You just have to continue to change your environment and not get comfortable.
When you aren’t busy sourcing materials, teaching at the Shoe Surgeon Sneaker School, and working on custom order requests – what can we find you doing?
Taking my son to the park with my wife. Reading to him. Playing with him. Even when I am not busy with the things you mentioned, I’m on my e-mail or Instagram running the accounts. I’m consistently working whether it's writing down ideas or eating, sleeping, and breathing my business. Oh, also eating at Bestia or Badmaash in Downtown L.A. We love to eat!
INTERVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHY: DIANE ABAPO