Traditional Romanian Shoes - Opinci - In Maramures County. Stock Image

Opincile are a traditional type of footwear from the Romanian folk costume from ancient times. They are made of a rectangular piece of leather, tightened on the leg with the help of leather laces. These clothing items date back to Dacian times. They are the traditional shoes that Romanians wore all year round, regardless of the season. In the past, opincile was made by hand from home-processed leather. The piece of leather must be larger than the sole, it has holes on the edge through which passes a leather strap that gathers this piece of leather around the foot, giving it the shape of shoes. The sandals were worn over woolen white socks. Currently they are worn by the inhabitants of the countryside on holidays, folk ensembles and artists who sing folklore and maintain traditional costume. Maramures county, Romania, Europe.