If you frequent our site, you're probably more than familiar with The Shoe Surgeon's insane sneaker modifications. As John Geiger's go-to customizer, the pair have cooked up some of the craziest sneaker projects we've seen in recent memory. But it wasn't always smooth sailing for the L.A.-based artist, whose real name is Dominic Chambrone.
"I turned a Supra Skytop 3 into a boot and ‘Pendleton and Pendleton’ sent me a letter from their lawyer saying they would sue me if I made more," Chambrone told footwear blog I Dig Your Sole Man. The sneakers were created in 2011 as a one-of-one gift for skateboarder Chad Muska's Factory 413.
"I loved the entire piece and how I was able to create it in a cobbler shop and my garage, and from the placement of material to the color choices, the lasering and my favorite the Vibram Boot sole. I'm friends with Supra and it’s funny because maybe a year or 2 later all these sneaker brands had boot soles on their designs and Pendelton started doing collabs with the likes of Vans and Nike to name a few," Chambrone said.
He also touched on the remixed Hender Scheme creations that he created for John Geiger. "I came up with the concept of putting the New Balance branding on Hender Schemes’ New Balance model," Chambrone said. "It's kind of a way to show these people a different way to look at things. John was gracious enough to ask me to do the AF1s, and I’m grateful to work with someone who is open to doing different things and not scared of thinking outside the box."
To read the full interview, head over to I Dig Your Sole Man.
