I always knew the summer was coming to an end when we made that long trip across Belfast to go get…read moreschool shoes in Reids. It was both exciting and depressing in equal measure. This shoe shop is huge, and it's pretty old fashioned. But something must be working because it has stood the test of time. I think it must be a family business to have survived this long. Apart from school shoes, I know a lot of people that go there to get wedding shoes (my mother included) and other occasion footwear.

A true Belfast institution and famous for its selection of children's school shoes. It also sells…read moremens and ladies shoes and I think it's fair to say that you won't find anything really fashion forward here, more like traditional and good quality men's shoes like Barkers and ladies boots and shoes for the over 30s. There is a wide range of kids school shoes so even the fussiest little darling should find a pair they like here. Top marks also for the balloon and Fredo Frog that goes in the bag with every pair. A really clever and appreciated little touch that I've never found anywhere else. I'm going to go against my own selfish rules for keeping bargains to myself and share the secret of the Reids kids shoe sale. Held once a year around Hallowe'en, it has some of the best bargains I've ever seen. For example all kids Geox trainers are reduced to an unbeatable £15. Given that Geox can be up to £50 full price, that is a really great sale. Here are the essentials - go early on the first morning of the sale, take cash as they don't accept cards in the sale, sharpen your elbows and bribe the children with whatever it takes to get them to do as they're told in among the slightly crazed crowds. You'll emerge battered and exhausted but with some of the best bargains ever.

I'm such a cheapskate when it comes to shoes. I don't think I've ever spent more than £45 on a pair…read moreof boots, let alone your average shoe, but needs must and all that. I really, really needed a proper pair of nice shoes. It was an absolute requirement. Michael Philips was the shoe shop of choice, and when I wandered in, I realised that Mr Philips actually owned a Clarks franchise, and all the shoes were Clarks shoes. I was beginning to doubt my decision, but decided to have a nosey anyway. Most of the shoes are a bit old fashioned for my liking, but I did come across a pair of super comfy leather brogues, with a little heel, and instantly fell in love. At £55 (gulp) they weren't cheap, but I managed to convince myself that they would be a fantastic investment. I can be awful persuasive sometimes... The sales assistant was attentive, and was ever so patient, despite being constantly pestered to find another size, and persistently asked whether the shoes looked ok. Nodding all the while, she convinced me all the more that I should purchase a pair, so out came the shiny black credit card (to match my shiny black shoes). It's less painful that way.

Right in the heart of Bow Street with cheap parking behind. Not a great selection of men's shoes as…read moreI came in the door. The assistant was a young girl called Jennie who was very pleasant and patient to deal. I liked the fact that I wasn't rushed and the shop was very clean and well presented. Excellent service and quite a nice bag that the shoes came in. Only downside was not enough men's shoes but nice attractive friendly staff means I would definitely come again.

The Indigo Girls certainly knew the "Power of Two", and Robinson's are even more aware of it, with…read moretheir ladies shoe shop selling some pretty sweet shoes. What was initially a "having a look" moment - spotting the Irregular Choice shoe boots, the pretty German pumps, the new season boots and the slightly heeled gladiators - turned into a right oul barney about feet. Apparently the sales assistant and I both have high arches, and she explained her years of problems, the difficulty of finding shoes, what she has undergone to improve her pain, etc etc. Poor lady. She was very informative and helpful, and extremely friendly, as was her counterpart who smiled and asked us if we were all right moments after coming into the shop. Made a pleasant change from the downright rude and arrogant lady who served me in another shoe shop last week... For such a small shop, there really is a good range of top-notch shoes, all at affordable prices. I would definitely go back, purely for the excellent customer service. And also cos two's the magic number baby.

Do you like quality? Do you like the smell of new leather? Have you got a few bob and would like to…read moretreat yourself to something extra special? Go to Robinsons Shoes and you are in for a treat. It's not just another shoe shop they are shoemakers in the true sense of that word meaning they handcrafted bespoke shoes made to fit you! See their website, it takes you through the process from measurement and choose the hide through to final fitting. Even if you can't afford the hand made version the shop is still worth a visit and, oh, by the way they do keep the top brands in pre-manufactured shoes. Its a lovely shop with wonderful smells!

It's an OK shop I guess, one of the things they do well is that whoever picks the stock does a…read moregreat job picking the range, they always have the most attractive shoes of the best makes. On the downside though I've found the staff a bit hit and miss, often they seem more concerned with talking to other staff. On my last visit, I had to ask the girl helping me the same question 3 times as she totally blanked me talking to other staff despite standing right in front of me. Also, prices are at the upper end, rarely do I see a shoe cheaper than it could be gotten elsewhere.

Several times a year I come in here during my seasonal, not always successful, hunts for new…read morefootwear but have only bought once in all those visits. The boots I got have been a great buy and should last a good long time (they're Fly, by the way, one of the well stocked brands in here) Generally speaking the women's shoes tend to be too high, multi coloured or quirky to be my choice though there are a lot of trainers etc. Also the shop downstairs is a bit cramped and crowded for trying things on - though there is little to be done about that. Maybe the men's section upstairs is better in that respect.

I'm not really mad into shoes. I tend to buy a few unusual pairs and stick to them as opposed to…read morebuying loads of bland shoes which all look the same. Saying this I probably have over 30 pairs, but that's moderate right? Some friends of mine, the Dinsmore sisters, yes they come as a collective are mad into the shoes here. You know the type so high they look like something Dita Von Tesse would wear them? I wouldn't bother as how the hell could you have a bit of a dance in those yokes? The shoes Aldo stock are alright, nothing major to write home about. The standout thing about them is they do offer good value for money. The shop is small enough and stocks a lot of plain jane handbags also. Not for me, but I'm sure if I was given a voucher I'd find something that'd catch my eye!

Food was quick and tasted great. I got a chicken fillet burger meal and the chicken was juicy and…read morefresh. The meal itself was huge and I left most of the chips but I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and I will definitely be revisiting this chippy soon. The food which came with chips and a bottle of coke was £6.00 which I thought was great value for the amount of food I got.

I was in Belfast for a couple of days on a trip with my daughter's American college field hockey…read moreteam. I am by no means wealthy...but, I am willing to spend for quality and the 3 sweaters I bought here are beautiful, wonderfully made, and I am sure I'll be handing them down to my sons after I wear them for 25 years...assuming they want them . Andrew and the other gentleman who helped me (Stewart?) were great- couldn't not have been nicer, very helpful, and they know their inventory and suppliers well. Not sure I'll be in Belfast again but now I wish I had bought some shoes too!

This is one of those shops that's continually out of reach for a normal soul like myself and to be…read morehonest the raft of high priced names and chic designer labels has never really appealed to me. You can find all of the big names in here - I did notice a fantastic pair of Chelsea style suede boots that took my fancy and since I had just got paid in the back of my mind I was thinking, why not just splurge? I had a look and a feel which was abruptly ended when I checked the price tag - a snip at £300. We're slightly out of my league when were talking about spending that kind of cash on footwear of any kind.... well, unless they were rocket boots of some kind.

This place was absolutely jam-packed when I visited it today. Shoes strewn everywhere,…read moredisinterested children having their feet measured, irksome teenagers attempting to find school shoes, OAPs digging through the piles of sale shoes...it was crazy with a capital C. I used to come to Cordners to get my school shoes when I was younger (ah, those were the days), and usually managed to get a pair I liked since there was a decent choice. The best aspect of the shop is that the back section is dedicated entirely to children's footwear, and it even has its own entrance off Mary Street South. Perfect for those who don't want to be mobbed by a pile of screaming five year olds. The rest of the shop (entrance off Conway Square) is currently a mish-mash of sale items - women's on the left hand side, men's on the right. With customers and staff scuttling everywhere, I didn't get a great look at the shoes, but there really is a huge choice - everything from Ecco to Irregular Choice for the ladies, and everything from to Kickers to Wrangler for the men. I'll be back on a slightly less mad day, I told myself. As with most shoes shops, you have your insoles, balsams, polishes and the like, and I've often popped into Cordners for a pair of £1.99 insoles. I seem to be one of those people who try a pair of shoes on in the shop, they fit perfectly, and then I go home, and they're suddenly too big. Most annoying thing. Cordners has thus been something of a life saver for me in terms of shoes fitting properly. Perhaps avoid Cordners for a few weeks 'til the kids go back to school (unless that's your reason for going), and you'll find a range of good quality, reasonably priced shoes. What could be better?

I am here to provide an alternative prospectus on Cordners from a male point of view…read more If you are a man Cordners is definitely not the shop for you. I thought I would help male Yelpers out by doing a bit of field research in Cordners. My findings are as follows. There is very little choice for men, they have about a metre of shelving dedicated to men's shoes and this is split between trainers and brogues. I think there were around 20 pairs of show shoes in total for men. Don't get me wrong this place is amazing for Kids and ladies but if you are a man and like a bit of choice then I would steer clear of Cordners. After all men do not have the same affection for shoes as women do and Cordners are just catering to the target market of shoe lovers.

I never usually venture into stores like this. And not without reason, as I recently discovered…read morewhen visiting Rojo. The most stunning designer shoes line the walls of this sleek footwear boutique, in every shape, size, colour and style you could possibly imagine. And we're talking big names here - Chanel, DKNY, Gucci - the real deal as it were. Yet, despite the designer names, the price tags weren't quite so bad as I thought they would be. Fair enough, £129 isn't exactly what I would spend on a pair of shoes, but it's all about the label, dahling. A few awe-inspired moments were spent gazing at the multitude of beautiful, and well-reduced due to the sale, shoes. It was at this point that I felt completely out of place, and I think everyone else realised this fact too. Despite my best efforts to fit in (I was wearing my £55 heeled brogues), it was never going to happen. Perhaps it was the Primark jeans that gave me away, or the fact that I looked like a small child in a toy shop, but either way, I was determined to make a swift exit (via the UGG section of course...they have the most gorgeous blue boots for ladies, and turquoise ones for girls). As long as you put your best foot forward, or ensure that the shoe's on the other foot, you'll be fine. Or something like that...

The onset of autumn is unfortuate in some ways but the good thing is all the latest boots that…read morestart appearing in the shops, because that's how I prefer to encase my feet in the winter. In Rojo they're somewhat beyond range at £180+ on average but there was a pair of black suede ones for less. They'd last for 10 years with fair treatment without looking out of place, so compare that to what you might fritter over the same period on cheap stuff and you've got a case for some serious purchasing...Ok, maybe not yet. Anyway - there are also the shoes and the clothes section but as far as I am concerned Rojo is about the boots.