Folk “opanak” maker guild was one of the first established guilds in the municipality of Gornji Milanovac. It was founded on 10 December 1872 and starting from then until the second half of the XX century, it had a lot of members. During the 1930s, there were thirty shops for making Balkan moccasins (folk “opanak”), which employed more than eighty workers. The last folk “opanak” making shop in Gornji Milanovac was Vojko Mijailović’s shop. Following his death in 1991, the shop was closed. Nowadays in the municipality of Gornji Milanovac, there is “only one folk “opanak” maker from Belgrade to Kraljevo”, and that is Želimir Damljanović from Brusnica.

The process of making the folk “opanak” is very complex and demanding. Leather tanning was the kind of work done mostly by specialised tradesmen – furriers. However, leather tanning for folk “opanak” was mostly done by folk “opanak” makers themselves. Calfskin was used for sole making, and goatskin for interweaving. One day was needed to tan the leather, make it wet, cut it, put it on the last and leave it to dry. The leather would then be cut for an object, after which interweaving would be done, the sole would be put together with rivets… It took at least three days for that.

A few decades ago, demand was greater because folk “opanak” shoes were worn every day. Nowadays, Želimir makes traditional shoes for some folk-dance societies, but there is not much work anymore. “There is rarely anyone who can learn this trade nowadays, because it requires tranquility and patience”, as he has stated. Like most of the tradesmen in our town, Želimir has a son as well, but he will not continue his family business, and so he is the last folk “opanak” maker in our municipality without doubt.