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At the Pestújhelyi Community Center, for more than 3 years, the processing of folk heritage items from Rákospalota has been underway with the help of the Hétszínvirág Embroidery Workshop. This time we are examining another type of object. On this professional day, we offer insights into traditional footwear, local crafts, and the diversity of handicraft knowledge. The program centers on the Rákospalota chalk shoe, whose formal and manufacturing peculiarities will be analyzed by Attila Kovács J., folk artist, bootmaker and shoemaker master, alongside a presentation of his own shoes, boots and professional work. Subsequently, participants will have the opportunity to learn about different types of bochkor (traditional rustic footwear) in various cultural circles, their manufacturing methods, and the possibilities for these traditional forms to survive in today's world, with the help of Gyöngy Terényi, folk artist and leather craftsperson. During the day, felt shoemaking will also come into focus, presented by Mónika Szabolcsi, a local felt maker ("Tündéri portékák"), demonstrating the connection between natural materials, handicraft techniques, ergonomics and sustainability. During the event, participants will have the opportunity to view the chalk shoes and shoemaker's tools found in the District XV Cultural Heritage House and Local History Collection up close. The presentations will conclude with a joint discussion and question-and-answer session, providing an opportunity for traditional knowledge and contemporary craft perspectives to meet.
11:00–11:05 – Welcome and introduction
Réka Farkas, program organizer
11:05–12:00 – Lecture by Attila Kovács J., folk artist, bootmaker and shoemaker master
Through a Master Shoemaker's Eyes – In Search of the Rákospalota Chalk Shoe
The lecture offers insights into the characteristic formal, structural and manufacturing peculiarities of the Rákospalota chalk shoe, alongside a presentation of the master's own shoes and boots related to the occasion. Master shoemaker Attila Kovács J. demonstrates, through the examination of footwear, how object heritage and shoemaker's professional knowledge can help us understand and interpret a local footwear tradition. During the presentation, participants will get to know the chalk shoes more closely and their professional analysis.
12:00–12:10 – Break
12:10–13:00 – Lecture by Gyöngy Terényi, folk artist and leather craftsperson
Bochkor – Local Peculiarities and Universal Solutions
The lecture presents one of the simplest yet most varied types of traditional footwear: the bochkor. We will discuss the different types of bochkor that developed in various cultural circles, their forms, raw materials and manufacturing technologies, as well as how local peculiarities and general, universally applicable practical considerations appear in them simultaneously. The presentation will also seek to answer why this simple footwear became popular in numerous communities, and what possibilities exist for the bochkor to survive in today's world.
The speaker will bring traditional footwear to the occasion, which participants can examine more closely.
13:05–14:00 – Lecture and book presentation by Mónika Szabolcsi, felt maker and instructor – "Tündéri portékák"
Tündéri portékák – Handicraft Tradition, Ergonomics and Sustainability
Presentation of felt shoemaking and book launch
The ancient felting technique and modern shoe design meet to offer a special, natural and sustainable alternative to mass-produced footwear. Mónika Szabolcsi, a craftsperson living and working in District XV, demonstrates how felt shoes are created from natural wool through manual labor, from the processing of raw materials to a wearable, durable form that conforms to the foot's natural anatomy.
The lecture will cover the properties of wool, the felting and shaping process, ergonomic considerations, and how traditional handicraft knowledge can be connected with today's needs. In the second part of the presentation, Mónika Szabolcsi's professional book on the subject and her felt shoes will be displayed, offering practical insights into the world of felt shoemaking.
14:00–14:20 – Questions, discussion, closing
Admission: 6500 Ft per person
Registration: jelentkezes.pekh@csokonai15.hu
Venue: Pestújhelyi Community Center, 1158 Budapest Szűcs István u. 45.
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