A shoemaker from Kolozsvár has designed some special footwear for those who are having trouble following the rules of social distancing: The tip of the shoe, made by Grigore Lup, is so long that it prevents the wearer from getting closer than half a meter to anyone, local news portal dejeanul.ro reports.
Gripore Lup, born in Pecsétszeg (Chiuiești) in Kolozs (Cluj), has been a shoemaker since his adolescence, when he started working as an apprentice. A couple of years ago, he opened his own workshop in Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca), and over time he has become a successful entrepreneur. As he told dejenul.ro, the COVID-19 pandemic affected his business as well, and he quickly realized that we could get through this pandemic faster by keeping the necessary social distance.
“I have seen on television that many people do not respect (the rules of social distancing – ed. note), although there are rules everywhere. Even if you go to the pharmacy or bank, people get so close to you that they breathe into your ear … So I said, let’s make some shoes to punish these people, a shoe to force them to maintain social distancing,” Lup told dejeanul.ro. Lup is also preparing for a second wave of the virus: He made winter boots for social distancing, too. As he says in the interview, even the gendarmerie can wear these light boots, even while fining those who do not respect the rules of social distancing.
The sizing of the unique but useful footwear starts from 70, and those who wear them are obliged to keep a distance of at least half a meter from anyone. Despite its length, the shoe is very light and is made of natural leather. Making these shoes, however, is very time-consuming compared to a normal pair of shoes — it takes twice as long to make.
“It takes a lot of work. We have to modify the foot shapes and caps. You need a different pattern because this is unique, and you need more material for a pair, almost a square meter of leather. So it is not easy to make,” the shoemaker explained. Because of this, the shoes are also more expensive: They cost RON 500 (EUR 100).
Until now, only theaters, all over the country, have ordered the special footwear, but the shoemaker hopes that brave people will also show up to buy a pair and use them every day.
Title image: The sizing of the unique but useful footwear starts from 70, and prevents the wearer from being too close to anyone. Photo: dejeanul.ro
