Opanke

[Corinnebelle]

A native shoe of Balkan region worn by peasant there. These were made by the farmers.

Source Etsy

[Dana_Dany Danuta]

In Poland, such shoes are called Kierpce

Kierpce were commonly used until the 20th of in the Carpathians and the Balkans.

These shoes have been made of genuine, hard leather since the early Middle Ages, thanks to which they are durable. The Podhale highlanders used leather from the cattle to make these moccasins.

"Kierpce" - traditional highland shoes made of leather. In the past, they were also commonly worn by highlanders in the Balkans or Romania. In the past, they were an inseparable element of the highlander's costume. Today, it is more of an ornament emphasizing belonging to a given ethnic group.

In the mountain region of the Tatra Mountains in southern Poland, there is an area called Podhale inhabited by highlanders.
To this day many of the highlanders in Podhale still wear their distinctive clothing we would call a folk costume, except that strictly speaking it is not a costume since it is still commonly worn.

The footwear worn by both men and women are called kierpce and they are made from leather (either sheepskin, pigskin or cowhide). Kierpce with added soles and heels are made for outdoor use. Our "kierpce" are made for indoor wear, like slippers or mocassins which have no added soles or heals; like ballet slippers they are very soft and perfect for Polish dancing.

The top and sides of this shoes are highly decorated with brass findings and a buckle and feature extensive designs burned into the leather. They look as good as they feel. The best kierpce are made from sheepskin which are thicker, very supple and soft to the touch.

Kierpce shoes.

• https://etnomuzeum.eu/inspiration-pattern/kierpce-shoes

• https://www.artcademy.eu/craft.php?id_fiche=1210

• https://etnomuzeum.eu/wzornik-inspiracji/kierpce-1

• https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kierpce#/media