Taking a Step Forward

Well-made footwear not only ensures comfort and protects your feet, but it’s also a form of wearable art. That’s why Deborah Robertson, an Asheville-based cobbler and artist, began creating her own in 2015. Robertson designs custom leather footwear in many styles, from historic-inspired to modern and sleek. “When I was in college, I majored in printmaking, and then I went to work in advertising and graphic design,” she explains. “In my spare time, I was a potter for a while, and in the early 2000s, I was a fiber artist working with wool. I was living in Austin, and wool is not the best fiber for Texas, so I wanted to move to a place where wool would be more desirable, and I chose Asheville.” 

Robertson’s shift from fiber arts to shoemaking began because of her passion for dance. She’s an international folk dancer, and as she searched for high-quality, fashionable dance shoes, she struggled to find any in a style she liked. “You can’t really buy dance shoes like what I have envisioned in my mind,” she shares. Robertson studied under Jessica Brommer of Hope & Industry Handmade Shoes before taking courses at Penland School of Craft. By learning from a variety of teachers, she learned multiple techniques for shoemaking, which she not only employs in her practice but also demonstrates to her students. 

Robertson is also the founder of Deborah’s School of Shoemaking, a small but dedicated operation that, like her retail business, she operates out of her home. “My dining room was my original studio when it was just me. Now, the living room is the classroom,” she shares. Robertson hopes to open a brick-and-mortar in the future that will double as a classroom space.

The process for making custom shoes is quite detailed. No two pairs are alike, and each is custom made for her clients using lasts, a mechanical form that can be used to model a foot. “We just have a discussion, and people usually have an idea in mind of what they want,” she explains. Robertson makes a variety of shoe styles including boots, oxfords, loafers, and more. She takes careful measurements in order to be sure the shoe is a perfect fit, and multiple fittings are conducted throughout the design process. High quality leather is her primary medium in order to create a long-lasting and timeless product.

One of the more challenging aspects of cobbling is finding the right materials to ensure she’s creating a stellar product. “Sometimes I have to buy things from Germany and England because we don’t have the resources here that we need,” she recalls. Robertson recently returned from a supply run trip out West, where she visited a variety of leather stores in order to stock up on the latest materials. “There’s just fewer and fewer leather stores out there, and I much prefer to buy leather that I can handle and feel how soft or stiff it is,” she explains. 

When making shoes for herself, Robertson takes inspiration from the past. “I like to make things, and push the boundaries when I make things. I am especially interested in historic styles.” But for clients, everything is custom made to their needs. One of her clients, for example, hired her to create a shoe for a unique cosplay outfit ahead of his trip to Comic Con in Atlanta. He already had a base shoe to use, so Robertson created an upper sleeve to wear on top of the shoe in order to complete the costume. Robertson is able to use her imaginative disposition to create pieces that are just as functional as they are fashionable. 

Made to Last
To see more of Robertson’s work, contact the artist, learn about upcoming classes, and more, visit deborahshoemakershoes.com