The Shoe Surgeon Exclusive: A Sneak Peek into His Secret Room

WHEN YOU THINK OF LUXURY SHOES OR DESIGNERS, YOU HAVE TO THINK OF DOMINIC AS SOMEONE WHO TOOK BOTH CULTURE & LUXURY AND FUSED IT TOGETHER. DOM HAS WORKED WITH TOP BRANDS, ATHLETES & CELEBRITIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD. HE CONTINUES TO BREAK BARRIERS WITH HIS LUXURY SHOE DESIGNS & CREATIVE INPUT WITHIN THE CULTURE

In a VIP exclusive with Lapsoflux, Dominic, also known as The Shoe Surgeon, shared the origin story of his brand. He recalled how it all started in high school when he painted a pair of shoes, which quickly caught the attention of his peers. They asked, “How did you get those?” and when he revealed that he made them, he realized the importance of quality. The paint on those first shoes didn’t last, prompting him to improve and make the best shoes possible.

Dominic explained that the idea of creating an alias or brand name came from his desire to stand out and signify quality craftsmanship. Initially, the brand was called “Shoe Surgeon” with a money sign, a venture he started with a friend. However, after they had a falling out, Dominic took full ownership and rebranded himself as The Shoe Surgeon.

This insight into the brand’s beginnings shows how a simple high school project evolved into a pursuit of excellence, leading to the creation of one of the most respected names in custom footwear today..

Dominic, known as The Shoe Surgeon, shared a personal reflection on his journey in a recent interview. He reminisced about his early days hustling to get exclusive Jordan sneakers before their official release. “I used to wait in lines initially to get Jordan sneakers. I was a hustler and I figured out how to get Jordans before they were even released. That was like a YEAH! moment,” he recounted. His passion for sneakers was intensely personal; he wasn’t focused on impressing others but purely on satisfying his own desires.

Dominic’s connection to sneakers deepened with his first pair of custom Python Jordans, which he borrowed from a friend. “The python Jordans were the very first pair of sneakers that my friend let me borrow,” he said. He reminisced about the excitement of coordinating with friends about their footwear, a reflection of the tight-knit sneaker culture of the time. “Once all my friends had the same shoes, we literally had to call each other and ask, ‘What shoes are you wearing tomorrow?’”

Dominic’s early work with Python Jordans was groundbreaking, sparking a new trend in custom footwear. “This is one of a kind. I started the hype with custom python Jordans. This is why python is one of my favorite materials,” he noted. His innovative approach to sneaker customization laid the foundation for his successful career and cemented his reputation in the industry.

LAPSOFLUX: TELL US ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IS TO HAVE A STRONG TEAM?

DOMINIC: It’s extremely important to have the right team that can do many things. I’ve built this from doing everything myself to now having departments which was a challenging thing to do. My most memorable part of this journey is having kids and being able to have a team to help me maintain this infrastructure while also being a father.

LAPSOFLUX: TELL US ABOUT SOME OF YOUR BIGGEST COLLABS?

DOMINIC: We have different collabs with celebrities and brands like Justin Bieber, The NFL, Old Spice and Ruffles. We did an exclusive collab with Ebay where I created a custom pair using Ebay & Nike elements for their sneaker. Only a few people really knew why I cut it up. Ebay had made a collab with Nike and that sneaker was clear in between and that you could actualy wear. So I wanted to relive that moment. This is the Pizza Hut. This is a completely original silhouette. Grant Hill was in these, in a commercial where you press the button and it
orders the pizza.

“We had a collaboration with Gucci. This here is not fully put together. But this is the products without the stitching. So this is what a shoe looks like before it’s finished on a sole. They then sent us a bunch of dead stock materials, that we were able to
design into the shoe. I had built a sewing machine table out of marble that was in the Gucci store for months.”

DOMINIC CHAMBRONE

LAPSOFLUX: CUSTOM DESIGNS YOU’VE DONE THAT WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT:

DOMINIC: There’s a ton of things in here that no one has ever seen or witnessed. The material can come in these large sheets and/ or skins and that’s exactly what Gucci sent me. We also did a $10,000 piece with Louis Vuitton. The materials came from their LV Illusion Bag. From this authentic bag, we cut up & we made very limited pairs. This was hand-dyed. We did the prison bag for $15,000. We cut up the prison bag and made only one.

For Balenciaga, we did that shoe that everyone was upset about. It was like a $1,200 shoe and it was just like it was a cheap a** shoe that was all ripped up and I wanted to play off that and do my version. The thick laces are trending and I just loved it. I used natural python & coffee dyed the sole. It’s one of my favorites I’m working on. We have merchandhise and are working on the The Surgeon clothing line. That was a one of one
that I wore for the Super Bowl where we made a kimono from scratch using vintage military fabric and then we ran different materials that we’ve used in shoes from Louis to Gucci.