A woman in her 70s has cherished her lifelong infatuation with making and selling “guoc” (traditional wooden clogs) as her own source of solace and to help promote the footwear, the use of which has seemingly fallen into oblivion these days, in Ho Chi Minh City over the past five decades. Nguyen Thi Lien is now the only maker and peddler of “guoc” at Ben Thanh Market in District 1.

The market, one of the city’s icons, is frequented by foreigners and tourists who visit it mostly to buy souvenirs, including handicrafts and traditional Vietnamese clothing items, or just to immerse themselves in the milieu.

“Guoc” made a perfect addition to “ao dai” (traditional long gown), “ao tu than” (traditional four-flapped gown) and “ba ba” (traditional pajamas) in the past.

The footwear was worn by both men and women decades ago, with those for women featuring richer colors and decorative patterns.

Lien said she began helping her aunt run her tiny “guoc” stall, which measures only 1.5 square meters in area, at the market when she was 18.

After her aunt passed away, Lien kept up the business, and is still running it today.

The elderly woman cannot remember how many pairs of “guoc” she has made for her clients, which has invariably given her sheer delight.

Lien’s items are crafted from various kinds of wood, mostly pine and “xoan” (sapele).

Her clogs come in many shapes and sizes and boast rich decorative patterns for clients to choose from.

Their prices vary between VND80,000 (US$3.7) and VND150,000 ($7) per pair.

Despite her decrepit health and old age, Lien has made all her clogs herself.

In recent years, the rustic-looking piece of footwear has lost its appeal to a wide array of more convenient, stylish sandals, slippers and high-heels, Lien lamented.

Even those in rural areas rarely use them these days.

Lien’s “guoc” sales have thus dropped considerably, plummeting from around a dozen pairs a day to a mere three or four pairs, or even none sometimes.

Despite her all-time low sales, Lien remains dedicated to her long-standing craft, which has served as a huge source of solace, as she lives alone.

She divulged she sometimes considers leasing her stall, as the rent is higher than the profits earned from her “guoc” sales.

“However, I choose to stick to the craft in a bid to preserve and promote the making of a cultural item. What concerns me is whether someone will keep my work running when I get older or pass away later,” she said.

The elderly woman takes great delight in telling her clients tales related to “guoc,” which she said has made up a big, memorable chunk of her life.

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