Adaptive creativity with the ‘Shoe Surgeon’

Dominic Ciambrone, better known as the Show Surgeon, describes himself as an artist. His canvas, rare pairs of Nike, Adidas or Puma sneakers which he rips apart and re-creates to make one-off collectible creations for celebrities, sports stars and CEO billionaires.

He’s not a trained designer, and even though he sells shoes, he’s not a retailer either. What is he? He’s a very modern phenomenon powered by social media (Instagram specifically), which is a value-adding middleman.

The crazy sneaker culture which originated in the U.S. and has spread globally is a very lucrative place to be, and shoe surgeons creations can retail anything up to an eye watering $10,000, and there’s a long waiting list. 

But what is creative about taking someone else’s design and changing it? Well it’s simply a different kind of creativity, it’s adaptive. Not every creation has to be innovative and defined as absolutely original – it’s hard to think of many ideas that are truly original in 2020.

Adaptive thinkers take existing products/solutions and apply them to new scenarios. It’s not about challenging the paradigm, but to fit the existing paradigm in a new way. Their approach if often, disciplined, systematic with an emphasis on trying to solve a problem. Adaptive creativity is resourceful.

Not content with his own creations, since 2016 he has taught classes for likeminded students on how to strip apart their favourite shoes and create something original. Adaptive thinkers also work well in a team (even if it costs each individual $3,000 to be part of that team!) 

As well as his creativity, what Ciambrone also brought was understanding of his market place, and more importantly understood that when is come to fashion, scarcity is cool. He can make a pair of trainers unlike anyone else, and in the luxury market he predominantly sells to, that is highly desirable. Whether it’s exotic leathers such as python, or metals like gold, he knows exactly what his customers are looking for. High-end versions of classic sneakers, and they’re willing to pay a premium.

“The Shoe Surgeon was customsing sneakers way before it became popular”

Highsnobiety