Ciprian Mert is a traditional craftsman and educator from Sintești, Timiș County, in Western Romania. He began crafting opinci—traditional Romanian peasant shoes—in 2000, inspired by the need to replace worn footwear used by his local călușari dance group. What started as a necessity soon turned into a passion and vocation. Over time, he refined his technique by learning from the few remaining elderly artisans across the country and by studying old opinci he collected.

Beyond producing custom orders for folk artists and cultural enthusiasts, Mert has participated in numerous national and international folk festivals and fairs in countries such as the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, and Italy. He is also dedicated to teaching the craft to younger generations, and in 2019 one of his students won first place at Romania’s National Folk Craft Olympiad.

In addition to opinci, Ciprian creates handcrafted leather accessories and wood-carved objects, promoting traditional Romanian craftsmanship through his Facebook page, MertCrafts. He co-founded a family museum in 2011, where he exhibits and demonstrates the art of opincărie. Passionate about heritage, Ciprian is ensuring the transmission of these traditions within his community—and proudly, to his two young sons.