Vietnam's wooden sandals, 'guốc mộc,' carry a strong image as old footwear that mothers and grandmothers once wore. Now that craft is drawing younger people and travelers at a Ho Chi Minh City market as an experience where 'your own pair is carved right in front of you.' Some customers even make the trip from a city about 1,000 km away. We followed the scene that caught fire on social media.
Clogs with 1–15 cm heels, finished in 15–20 minutes at Tan Dinh Market
The Vietnamese paper Dan Tri reported on July 23, 2026, that making wooden sandals is trending at Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Dinh Market (Cho Tan Dinh). The market, on Hai Ba Trung Street in the Tan Dinh area, opened in 1926 and holds about 400 shops across roughly 7,000 square meters. In one corner, a customer picks the wooden-sole design, the strap style, and the heel height, and an artisan assembles the sandals on the spot. Heels range from 1 to 15 centimeters, and it takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Rather than picking a ready-made pair off a shelf, you watch a pair built for your own feet - selling this 'time in the making' is what sets it apart from a conventional souvenir shop.
Customers who travel some 1,000 km from Da Nang, drawn by the variety, at 250,000 dong a pair
ダンチの記事で象徴的に紹介されているのが、ダナンからおよそ1,000キロを移動してこの体験のために訪れたラン・ヴィ氏だ。木靴の産地として知られるホイアンにも売り手はいるが、彼女は「ここのほうが種類がずっと豊富」だと語り、伝統的な履物が現代的な服装にも合わせやすい点を評価した。産地に近い場所に住んでいてもなお、選択肢の多さと体験の質を求めて大都市の市場まで足を運ぶ。値段は1足あたりおよそ25万ドン、日本円にすると約1,540円だ（1円≈162ドンの目安で換算）。手仕事のカスタムメイドで作る過程まで見られる体験としては、旅行者の感覚でも手が届きやすい。繁忙日には1日20足以上売れる店もあると店主は話している。ダナンからホーチミンは、日本でいえば東京から広島に近い移動だ。それだけの吸引力を「その場で作る」という体験のかたちが生んでいる。
A social video in late 2025 sparked it, lifting sales by 30–40%
The starting point of the boom is clear. In late 2025, videos of customers choosing materials and watching clogs assembled before their eyes spread on social media and caught fire. The first to gather were mostly foreign tourists, but over the past two or three months visits by Vietnamese have jumped sharply. According to the owner, sales have risen 30–40% since the boom began. The sequence of "foreigners find it, and locals follow" is often seen in Vietnam's experience-based tourism. The 15–20 minutes of shaving the wooden sole, fitting the strap and setting the heel height also happen to make good footage, fitting neatly into a single video. Lift a craft from "watch and buy" to "make and take home" and you get shareable footage, which in turn draws more customers. Near Hanoi,Try printing Dong Ho, Vietnam's answer to ukiyo-efollows the same path by which it took hold as a half-day sightseeing draw. The idea of opening the process to customers is becoming a survival strategy separate from subsidies or preservation campaigns.
A market that was a "place to buy" becomes a destination where you linger and take photos
This phenomenon is changing the very role of a place like Tan Dinh Market. The market was originally where you bought ingredients and daily goods cheaply. Add the experience of "watching the making process," and the market turns into a destination where tourists linger, take photos, and spend time. In Can Tho,Touring the night market and the morning floating marketThis clog-making sits on the extension of trips that enjoy the market itself as an experience. Known as a photo spot for its pink exterior, Tan Dinh Market is also close to the center of District 1.
Visit in the morning to avoid the busy afternoon, and browse nearby dried-goods shops during the wait
If wooden sandals are your goal, keep in mind that on busy days more than 20 pairs sell, so it's safest to visit in the morning and avoid the crowded afternoon. Heels range from 1 to 15 cm, so it's easier to decide before you arrive—lower for everyday wear, higher if you want photogenic flair or a special feel. Since you'll stay at the market for the 15–20 minutes it takes to finish, plan to browse the nearby grocery and dried-goods shops in that time to enjoy the whole market without waste. For about 250,000 dong you get not just a pair of sandals but the 15 minutes an artisan spent shaving wood just for you. Before you reach for a ready-made souvenir, it's worth setting aside a slot in your itinerary for this "time being made."
