An old fashioned, traditional style shoe shop. To be honest it's not really to my taste but others…read moremay like Gaffney's. I find it a tad expensive and behind the times. Plus I never feel I can browse this shop comfortably as sales staff always seem to hover over my shoulder in a rather irritating manner. Maybe they are trying to be helpful, jump on a sales opportunity or think I'm going to steal and run off with the one shoe out of a pair on display hahahahaha! I actually dislike going into this shop. Dowdy, dated and out-of-style, I'll definitely be buying my footwear elsewhere...

don't shop here. used to work here. the owner is awful to both staff and customers, marks up his…read moreprices like CRAZY (selling boots worth £20 at £100), doesn't listen to any kind of sound business advice and then wonders why his business is failing. he sacked one of my coworkers mid-shift and made her continue her shift, he made me (his manager at the time) come in and rearrange his ENTIRE store for him (took me almost 3 whole days to complete) only to sack me once I finished all the hard work for him or in his words "I'll call you when I have hours for you". he tells customers they are wrong if they say a shoe doesn't fit them or feel comfortable and makes them out to be liars if a pair of shoes they bought happened to be faulty. his store also does not adhere to legal requirements such as having smoke alarms, fire extinguishers or being wheelchair accessible and when I brought these things up to him he laughed, particularly about being wheelchair accessible. don't give this man your money he's an awful excuse for a human.

Now, this place may not win any awards for being cool and I used to curse my mother for buying me…read moreshoes from here when I was a young boy but now I'm older and buying my own shoes I can see why she brought me here year after year to get my school shoes. The prices aren't low but they're really, really good for the quality of shoe that you get and a pair of Clarks will last you ages. There is also that cool machine that works out your shoe-size which always used to amaze me when I was younger. The staff are knowledgable and friendly, not being too pushy with the optional extras like polishes and leather protector etc.

I usually don't like going to this Clarks Shoe shop as their kids department is upstairs and not…read moreoverly convenient for prams. I was passing today but and needed to get new shoes for my youngest so I thought I would nip in. As I said kids department is upstairs so I parked the pram in the designated area for prams and brought my wee one upstairs. There was no one else there, bonus I picked a good time to go, I noticed on my way in through the doors a ticket system so it must get very busy at times and to stop arguments between mothers they have thought of this. Shop is very well laid out in age categories and types of shoes. Lovely and bright too for kids. Assistant came straight over and measured my daughters feet and then went into the store and got all the available stock in her size, three pairs to choose between. Assistants are very knowledgeable in fitting for kids. Needless to say we came home with new shoes.

If you seeking elegant but traditional shoes for special occasions such as a weddings, or need…read moreappropriate footwear if your profession has a formal dress code then Arabesque is worth a visit. They stock Italian and Spanish designer shoes that are smart but comfortable classics, beautifully made from leather and suede that will lift your stature with out being excruciatingly high or ultra trendy. The target here is really for the well heeled older woman, but on the other hand I have noticed there are good sales on here so the prices are by no means out of sight. So I should confess my eye is on some rather nice wedge heel black suede numbers. There is also a selection of classic handbags to marry with the shoes. It's very old school in here, with a charming, gentlemanly proprietor in charge. As a small shop, the service is attentive so is best for those who are genuinely interested in the stock rather than casual browsers.

Gosh, every time I think of this shop I instantly think of Jason Derulo..."I'm solo, I'm ridin'…read moresolo". Well, I was to an extent this day (being all on my ownio), but that's as far as the link goes. Anyway, Solo Shoes inhabits the other half of the building in which Eden Fashions is located. As I noted in my previous review, I actually didn't realise initially. In fact, I went in, walked upstairs and had a look up there, then came back out, went to take my photo, noticed the two names, and decided to check out Solo. A high-end ladies shoe shop, Solo has the most gorgeous shoes but they are pretty pricey. Long leather boots, flats, heels...there was definitely a good range and quite a few people were enjoying having a nosey. I spotted a few Irregular Choice shoes (buying at least one pair of these shoes is in my "things to do before I'm thirty" list), which were slightly more expensive than what I have seen them in the likes of Schuh. One pair, for example, was £74, whereas you could be spending £69.99 in Schuh. But hey, it's Moira, so that's what you get. As well as these delectable shoesies, there was also a small rail filled with highly patterned and brightly coloured clothes. I didn't check them out (I was too fixated by the shoes), but they were expensive looking too. Solo should probably be renamed So-High, but regardless of the prices, I loved it.

if you live in the south of Ireland I highly suggest you don't waste you time or money shoping with…read morethen . they don't generate labels for return from the south . you only find this out after a long process. they literally told me I could cross the border and send the shoes back . they don't make anything easy and auctally were we could not care less it's your problem. so if you are from the south and want to return or exchange for a different size . they tell you to cross the border and send with royal mail .

Junction 1 is all about managing your expectations. The first time I visited, I had just been to…read morethe US and been on a serious spree in one of the outlet malls there. I went to Junction 1 expecting the same kind of unbelievable bargains there, especially as Belfast's first Ralph Lauren store had just opened there. Big mistake. You just don't get those kind of crazy prices anywhere but in the states. So, with my expectations of bargains managed right down, I made a second visit and was very impressed with both the range of shops and the prices. The best buys are to be found in M&S and the Next outlets, as well as Gap, Levis and Mexx. You'll get prices which are about half of what you would pay in the high street shops, but you may be buying goods that are a season or two old. As long as you're not looking for high fashion, there are savings to be made. M&S underwear, Next shoes, Gap clothes for children and jeans are all good choices and sadly the Ralph Lauren store has closed down. Maybe it was too expensive to do any business? The whole environment at Junction 1 is really pleasant, beautifully landscaped 'streets' and lots of open space, very much in the style of my beloved US outlet malls. There are plenty of places to bolster your energy reserves for round two of shopping - M&S café, Starbucks, Subway and Moe's Cafe which does very good scones. It's not really a place to take the kids, although if you have to, you could bribe them with a visit to Adventure Island, an indoor play area. Sadly you can't drop them off there and collect them 3 hours later, you have to actually stay with them. Now there's a niche in the market if ever I saw one.

Junction One is my kinda shopping experience...cheap, easy to get around, and tons of wonderful…read moreshops all in the same area. Heaven for most girls, and even for some guys (my dad's a huge fan, but he doesn't like to openly admit it). This place has really taken off since its opening in six years ago. Us poor Norn Ironers now wonder what the heck we were doing paying full price for all those clothes / shoes / accessories / cosmetics / other bits and bobs when you can get up to 60% off such things in Junction One. I've gotten so many things here over the years, many from shops which are long since gone (RIP Logo...darn that recession), and for really genuinely good prices. Ones to definitely check out are Next Clearance (no changing rooms is the only let down here), All Wellan Good (*really* cheap makeup and toiletries), Cosmetics Company (top brands such as Bobby Brown and Elizabeth Arden feature here, but you'll get them for a good bit cheaper than on the high street), Mexx and Tom Tailor. Unfortunately, as I previously mentioned, a few shops have closed over the years, including the awesome Ralph Lauren store and Pilot. One other slightly negative note is that the cafes are really quite expensive...no 60% bargains to be had in these! All in all, a tremendous shopping experience, and one which you won't regret.

I went to get a sports bag. I have difficulty with stairs. After 20 minutes of being ignored,…read morewalked away from and left standing at a till as staff attempted to find the price, I came away empty- handed. No one spoke to me unless I spoke to them first. Staff made me feel a nuisance. The only exception was the young girl near the lift who helped me operate it. I try to shop locally to support real businesses but I'm going online now to buy a sports bag.

Packed full of sports clothing and some sports equipment. Over packed in my opinion, like many…read moreclothing stores. Hardly room to get around. That aside, they do fit in a huge amount of product. Also, casual clothing, jeans, polo shirts etc. The staff are always polite and helpful. Unfortunately they did not have the item that I was looking for - an Arsenal polo shirt (definitely NOT for myself I hasten to add!), which was advertised as being in-store on their online site. Pricewise, it is usually great value for money and fantastic if you have a gaggle of children to clothe. I ended up buying an arsenal mug (again NOT for myself) and was unfortunate to end up at the till behind the customer who appeared to be buying every item in the shop! There is ample parking outside, being part of the Springhill retail park, and is very easily accessible coming off the Bangor bound carraigeway from Belfast.