Chips Ahoy! x Dominic: Making sneakers from scratch
Each vote cast triggered a $5 donation toward the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). The money helps support arts programming at Clubs throughout the country, something Ciambrone has an affinity for with his Shoe Surgeon design school.
Voting ballots checked off the sneaker’s silhouette, style, colors, and other elements of the signature shoe-to-be seen on Chips Ahoy! animated spokes-cookie, Chip.
And, the winners of the competition were eligible for a pair of the final custom sneakers a year’s supply of Chips Ahoy! Or, the opportunity to attend Shoe Surgeon’s design school.
Not to mention, Ciambrone will ultimately gather inspiration from the votes and facilitate a virtual workshop of 10 teens from Boys & Girls Clubs of Americas. Hence, this collaboration will birth the exclusive Chips Ahoy! sneaker available for participating sneakerheads.
Dominic Ciambrone
Growing up in Santa Rosa, CA, a city located an hour north of San Francisco, a teenage Ciambrone felt fashion and sneakers were his “only purpose” for attending high school.
“I started customizing sneakers when I was in high school. I was passionate about expressing my creativity from a young age.”
Dominic Ciambrone
Thus, his collaborative effort with Chips Ahoy! resonates with Ciambrone’s continued effort in helping teens to express themselves through the arts.
“This is a dream partnership for me. Not only that, but the program benefits Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which I attended in Santa Rosa when I was younger,” he remembers.
Dominic Ciambrone, 2021
Moreover, he recalls his youth in making a name for himself in a market he was interested in. And New York City has a part to play in his sneakerhead journey as it is the place where “Sneakerhead-ism” can find some prevalence.
“The name came to me when I lived in Charlotte, NC, and took a trip to NYC with my best friend and my older brother. The energy from NYC was unreal. I was 18 and that’s when the name started – it was originally ‘$hoe Surgeonz.'”
Dominique Ciambrone, 2021
Overall, Ciambrone’s LA-based sneaker-makers school is “an immersive experience where students learn the process of designing custom sneakers entirely from scratch,” simply put by Ciambrone.
Thus, the teens who will be participating in the virtual workshop will learn how to make sneakers from scratch.
Sneakers from scratch
This inside look into making sneakers from scratch is a cobbler’s dream for the average sneakerhead. You may be fantasizing about your own collaborative ‘kicks.’
Additionally, the 10 teens from BGCA and Shoe Surgeons will have exclusive access to the creation of this sneaker from scratch. In fact, they will attend a virtual workshop.
There, they can be exposed to a behind-the-scenes look at the process that physically creates the Shoe Surgeon’s designs and Chips Ahoy! sneakers.
So, while Chips Ahoy! mixes into sneakers and street culture, it also fosters a new generation of creators. And Ciambrone’s efforts as a sneaker-making professor bridge the gap between their interests and their dreams.
Likewise, Ciambrone identifies this energy and the voting process as a “great model for how to get the fans involved and encourage them to get creative.”
Plus, he elaborates: “trends are always changing. This is a way to engage with the audience. And also, allow them to have a say in what they want directly with the brand.”
The artistry present
Dominic is known to take the elements that resemble the physical attributes of a cultural icon. Then, not only does he place them onto iconic kicks, but he also captures the ethos and reflects that in his significant detailing finishes.
“Textures and colors of the cookies, the packaging details, the overall brand,” Ciambrone describes. He retracts stating “the elements of the final design is all up to the fans! That’s really what brings the final design to life and what makes this partnership so special.”
Dominic Ciambrone, 20201
Therefore, expanding into grade schools and universities is Dominic’s goal as he gets to work with students regularly through his institution.
Workshops and hands-on learning are unique opportunities to experience a lifetime of skill and craftsmanship. Plus, the artist doubles down on that notion, “It’s not just about shoes, it’s about bettering one’s way of life and outlook on themselves.”
Thus, Ciambrone has a life and an outlook customized solely for him but makes sure to help others customize their own. He concludes in a confession of his customization-obsession:
“I like to customize almost anything. That’s why I put milk and ice cream on my cookies. It’s all about staying true to yourself.”
Dominic Ciambrone, 2021