Nike Sues The Shoe Surgeon Over Copyright Infringement Claims

After wrapping up proceedings in April from its most recent headline-worthy dispute with Bape, the Nike lawyers have been let off their leashes once more, turning their attention to Dominic Ciambrone, a.k.a The Shoe Surgeon, over claims that the custom sneaker linchpin is using Nike trademarks without permission.

The Shoe Surgeon is a prolific solo act within the sneaker space, most commonly known for his reimagining of iconic Nike releases that are entirely handmade from start to finish, using exotic materials and a meticulous approach to detail that simply cannot be achieved through mass production methods.

Claims of trademark infringement, counterfeiting, and unauthorized wholesale usurpation of the Nike brand were cited in official court documents. Nike also claims that it attempted to settle with Ciambrone on several occasions, only for the infringing products to be removed from the Shoe Surgeon's website, before returning at a later date.

Noteworthy silhouettes mentioned in the filing include the Air Force 1 and models 1-through-4 of Nike’s Air Jordan range.

An official statement from Nike reads: “Nike seeks to enjoin Ciambrone and the other defendants in their attempts to build an entire multifaceted retail empire through their unauthorised use of Nike’s trademark rights and the associated goodwill that Nike spent decades accruing."

This is alluding to the Shoe Surgeon Academy - an operation started by Cambrione that teaches students the same hand-crafting techniques that landed him clients such as Drake, Lebron James and many more high-profile figures.

Nike is seeking $60 million dollars in compensation for infringements on “over 30 Nike trademarks, trebled, and grouped with attorneys’ fees."

Nike has since outlined that it is open to allowing the Shoe Surgeon to continue producing 1-of-1 special products for Nike-sponsored athletes or brand affiliates.

Ciambrone is yet to release a statement.