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This 'Shoe Surgeon' Makes $10,000 Custom Sneakers from Scratch

VICE went to designer Dominic Chambrone’s studio in LA to see how the shoemaker creates custom kicks for celebs like Drake, DJ Khaled, and LeBron James.

Dominic Chambrone has been making custom pairs of sneakers from scratch ever since he was a teenager. Now, the “shoe surgeon” has managed to turn his hobby into a full-time job—opening a studio in Los Angeles where he makes kicks for high-profile clients like Drake and LeBron James.

VICE met up with Chambrone at Surgeon Studios to see how he turns an idea for a shoe into a finished product, following along as he picked out materials, cut fabrics, and slapped on soles. Then we sat in on a four-day workshop, where Chambrone taught a roomful of apprentices how to build custom kicks of their own.

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