Deborah Robertson comes from a long line of knitters, lacemakers, seamstresses and embroiderers. Sewing is in her blood. It’s no wonder she took to shoemaking once she found a teacher. Deborah first studied shoemaking with Jessica Brommer in Asheville, NC in 2015, taking all the classes she offered. In the Spring of 2018 Deborah took an 8-week shoe and boot making concentration at Penland School of Crafts with Amara Hark Weber.
In her Asheville studio Deborah makes custom, handmade shoes and boots using hand-welted, pegged and cemented shoe construction methods. At Footwear Symposium 2018 she won a “shout out” for her hand-welted Balmoral button boot. Deborah is particularly interested in making custom shoes for International Folk Dancers and Contra Dancers, as well as making street shoes for everyone.
With her Fine Arts degree in Printmaking Deborah has worked in advertising, publishing and marketing. Before shoemaking Deborah worked as a fiber artist and felting teacher. Her most notable works from this period are the shawls from the bird’s wing series. She paints with wool then wet felts her designs. In the early ’90s she was a potter.