The Shoe Surgeon customises a unique Bentley

The Shoe Surgeon, real name Dominic Ciambrone, is an American celebrity cobbler who has created customised sneakers for Justin Bieber, Drake and NBA superstar LeBron James.

His creations are usually priced between R50,000 to R500,000 and his most famous footwear are the gold-and-diamond garnished Nike LeBron 15 sneakers valued at R1.7m.

Now the Los Angeles designer has applied his craft to customising a car: a Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid  unveiled at Art Basel Miami, a week-long international art fair staged annually. The unique car was commissioned by Bentley’s in-house personal commissioning division Mulliner after Ciambrone launched a limited-edition line of Bentley-inspired sneakers. A visit to Bentley’s Mulliner division in early 2022 inspired him to create the small run of 10 pairs of takkies featuring Bentley craft signatures such as diamond quilting and cross stitching as well as his signature “Surgeon” skull and scalpel monogram.

The one-off Bentley is called the Flying Spur Hybrid x The Surgeon and the car’s specification leaves nothing to be desired. The Mulliner Blackline specification replaces exterior polished chrome with all-black brightware, while the front splitter, side sills, rear diffuser and boot lip spoiler are made of carbon fibre.

It has a duo-tone paint finish of Anthracite over Anthracite Satin, with the monochromatic effect offset by the sparing use of Satin Bronze on the lower front, side and rear bumper. A bespoke Satin Bronze pinstripe draws the eye the full length of the Bentley, while the 22” Satin Anthracite wheels feature a Satin Bronze pinstripe around the outer rim. The same finish is used for the Surgeon badges on the D pillars and the Hybrid badge on the fender. The finishing touch is provided by an illuminated Flying B radiator mascot in Gloss Black.

Step inside and you’re greeted by a “The Surgeon” motif on the outer sill panel while the inner sill plate conveys his personal philosophy “Never Stop”. Bespoke LED welcome lamps project the skull and crossed scalpel logo onto the ground.

Inside, contrast Bronze stitching features on the seats and steering wheel.

The designer’s motif is liberally used inside the cabin, embroidered in Bronze on the seats and headrests, laser-etched onto the wood-veneered dashboard, and overlaid in chrome on the rear cupholder.

The car is mechanically unchanged and retains its 2.9l V6 combustion engine and powerful electric motor, exhibiting the next step in Bentley’s Beyond100 journey towards a future of electrified luxury.

The customer who buys this one-off car will receive a matching pair of Bentley x The Surgeon Adidas Forum Low sneakers.