bespoke shoes
Meet Peyton Bray, my Summer Intern, from Savannah College of Art and Design. Peyton is majoring in Fashion Design and minoring in Accessories Design. He will be a Senior at SCAD this fall. Today was his first day and he will be working at Deborah Shoemaker on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He’s helping me put together my collection for the Southern Highlands Craft Guild Fair in Asheville in October.
Save the date, October 15-18, 2026.
This summer I went Out West. I was visited at my campsite in Cloudcroft, NM, by a young bull elk. His antlers were still in velvet. I quietly spoke to him and explained how handsome he is. It was a magical moment and one of my favorites from the trip. How enchanting that he spoke back to me with a soft, quiet bugle.
Fast forward to yesterday when I learned the article on me and my school is out in WNC Magazine. Imagine my surprise to find my spirit guide on the front cover. See the story which begins on page 39. https://wncmagazine.com/digitaledition
The Autumn 2023 shoemaking class for returning shoemakers has been filled. Thank you all for your patronage and for getting the word out. Your enthusiasm to learn and ambition to hone your skills inspires us all.
Reserve your spot now for my beginner shoemaking classes that start in January. See the Toe River Studio Tour booklet that is out now for the Autumn tour. My ad is on page 10.
Class size is limited to five. Let me know if you have availability for other days of the week. I will open additional sections for the class as the seats fill. Early registration recommended.
Deborah’s School of Shoemaking is well underway. These students are taking Shoemaking 101, Oxford or Derby. The beginner class teaches all of the skills to make a pair of cemented shoes of their own design. The class is taught with demonstrations at each stage of building followed by hands on practice of each skill. Students will walk away from the course with a pair of shoes made to fit their feet.