Project 5 - Editorial Illustration
Dominic Chambrone The L.A.-based Shoe Surgeon takes sneakerhead devotion and expertise to the next level. By Howie Kahn April 6, 2018 5:45 a.m. ET I’M PACKING UP LeBron’s shoes right now,” says Dominic Chambrone, the 31-year-old cobbler and custom-sneaker maker otherwise known as the Shoe Surgeon. He’s referring to the gift Nike commissioned him to create for LeBron James, one of the company’s marquee athletes, in honor of his 30,000th NBA point. Chambrone, whose sneakers have sold for as much as $10,000 and whose clients include Drake, DJ Khaled and the Miami Heat, says the one-off high-tops for James were his toughest pair to date. “Our first attempt wasn’t good enough,” he explains. “So we started over and made something incredible.” The final result is a gold-accented python riff on James’s signature Nike, the LeBron 15, which Chambrone converted from a slip-on to a zip-up, adding a gold zipper running vertically along its upper. “It’s amazing Nike...
