Kalamata, as other places in Greece, awards significance to the footstep, to walking. As a shoemaker, owner of a historical workshop in the centre of the city puts it, "In a sense, it's not only about how we walk on the street, rather it has a broader meaning: how we advance in life". Sandals: a mythical bequeath or a remnant of past times? Those of legendary Oedipus (his name literally means "the one with swollen feet") or Jason's who lost one sandal when he helped Hera pass a river? Heroes, whose steps were extreme, pioneering, full of meaning. Similar sandals are still designed today for comfort and at the same time, aesthetics.
A walk in Kalamata is enough to discover small workshops that manufacture handmade traditional sandals, custom-made by order for all sizes. In the historical centre there are many shops and with a great variety in designs. Is there connection with the ancient Greek and mythical tradition? Perhaps, since we see the same designs being reproduced again and again, similar to those seen on statues or depictions on pottery or frescoes.
