The footwear at Terra Plana manages to be both fashionable and comfortable to walk around in. The…read morestyles are quite unique - including Velcro, buckles and other imaginative fasteners. Some of the sandals had comfy-looking toe separators. I was pleased that some of the dressier styles came in flat shoes as well - I'm not a big fan of heels, and find often flat shoes look very plain. These had intricate designs and accents. Shoe prices were quite reasonable - the ranged from £19 - £45 per pair.

Converse might have dominated the sneaker market over the last decade but Vans remains the label of…read morechoice for lots of skates, surfers and snowboarders. This new Brighton store occupies a corner position on West Street and houses a small but solid selection of the label's latest threads and footwear. As well as baggy jeans, tees, hoodies, slip on sneakers and hi-top baseball boots, they have signature collections designed by surf and skate icons Johnny Layton, Joel Tudor and Anthony Van Engelen. Time to hit the sidewalk and go for a ride....

It was only a matter of time before Vans opened a store in the city: I think there is definitely a…read moremarket for their products. You only need to walk around the city with your eyes pointed down (which I often do, due to the massive shame weighing me down) to see all the pairs of checkerboard Slip ons, and the bright colour ways of the Old Skool and Era. The Vans brand is pretty dominant in the footwear stakes, especially more recently, with their chunkier version of the plimsoll being Office and Offspring favourites too. It is therefore only befitting they open a new store (conveniently slap-bang between the Office and Offspring) in the heart of the city's commercial shopping area. The store is well stocked with the footwear ranges, tees, jeans, hoodies and hats, and also some eye candy when it comes to the staff. Definitely the place to go if you want anything Vans. But that's kind of obvious really isn't it?!

We all know I've had a beef with Clarks ever since I was forced to wear their shoes as a child…read more I have to admit though, if your mum, auntie or grandma is looking for a pair of comfy and sensible day or evening shoes, this particular branch is worth a visit. It's smaller and friendlier than the bigger branch in the Churchill Square Shopping Centre, there's parking or buses to the next street and they have a constant supply of different stock. My lovely better half even managed to pick up a very nice pair of red, rockabilly shoes from here last summer. I've tried them on but I couldn't bring myself to borrow them!

If I had to pick one word to describe Clark's shoes, it would be Sturdy. That's not the opposite of…read morefashionable - several of the shoe styles were quite aesthetically pleasing, but they all look like good, firm, walking shoes. Prices aren't too bad - between £35 - £50 for shoes, and £75 and over for boots. Men's options looked equally comfortable, whilst still being dressy or stylishly casual - and there were a few pairs of super comfy looking bedroom slippers. There are a few sale shelves with flashier, wobblier varieties - heels, strappy stuff - with discounts of either 50% or 70% off. In summary, a large selection of nice quality footwear.

I'm not usually prone to depression but the idea of working or shopping in Shoe Zone is enough to…read moremake me feel close to the edge. The bright orange and blue branding gives me a headache and the racks and racks of bad shoes, boots and slippers crank it up a notch. All the footwear here seems to start about £4.99 and go up to around £24.99 with the emphasis being on plastic looking slip on brogues, lace up shoes, work shoes, trainers and boots. Some look less offensive than others but none look well made or long lasting. They also have a whole aisle of ugg boots - which just cements my dislike of the place.

Another branch of the bargain shoe store, selling a vast range of cut price shoes, boots, sandals…read moreand trainers, all stupidly cheap albeit sometimes at stupid quality. I've always shopped in Shoe Zone as it's so cheap, but have been stung a couple of times by the poor quality. A pair of boots I'd worn into the ground finally decided to give up the ghost in the middle of town as the zip broke, rendering them unwearable, and a pair of nice wedge pumps I bought for work lasted an impressive four weeks until the heel literally cracked in half all the way up to the sole. Nevertheless, what you see is what you get with any bargain shoe store, and nine times out of ten they last long enough. The staff are always very friendly and happy to help, and ask no questions if you need a refund or exchange. I didn't have my receipt for my work shoes but they happily let me pick another pair (I went for the rubber heeled wedges instead of the plastic ones this time), and they're still alive today.

Clarks still has a slightly fuddy-duddy image in many people's minds, and to be honest, it's not…read morethe first place I'd come to for anything fashionable (though the women's section has more to choose from - not that I'm an expert there...). But for sensible, simple black shoes for work, as well as comfy and well-made sandals for the summer, it's still pretty foolproof. My partner shops here every year for the same thing (and indeed has switched allegiance from Doc Martens since the quality of the latter went downhill). There have always been a fair number of families with children here, too, so its reputation for catering to that market still seems to be holding good. The store here is in the Churchill Shopping Centre, on the atrium leading up to Debenhams. They have some good sales in the New Year and also during the summer, which is especially good for winter shoes. The staff have always seemed very helpful, and knowledgeable about the stock, too, and they help fit your shoes if you want to - an incredible rarity, these days.

The products on display are pretty good in this store, and the staff are nice and helpful when you…read moreneed them, but the actual interior itself always feels a bit tacky so you never enjoy the visit as much as you think you should. If they sorted out the decor a bit, I would have spent more time here.

This is my favourite of all the chain shoe shops. It's a bit more expensive than some of it's…read morecompetitors - but the shoes are such good quality and the styles really fashionable. This shop is quite large (but there is also a Nine West concession within Debenhams). They always seem to have lots of stock in and very rarely when you ask to try something on do they say they don't have it. Shop only sells womens shoes. Shop also sells a range of bags (which are also very nice quality) and a limited range of clothing items (eg : during the winter they stock a few coats/jackets). Best of all - some of the styles come in halves ! Perfect if, like me, you are a six and a half !

This is a very small store located in the Lanes in Brighton. They stock 'Bertie' shoes and boots…read morefor women. There isn't a huge variety of different styles and colours to choose from, but all are beautifully designed and made. The prices are at the higher end of the high street price range, you are looking at paying between £100 - £200 for a pair of boots. But if you choose to do so, you will not be disappointed. They are all very high quality, both materials and craftmanship and will see you through more than a couple of winters - not bad in my book. I have also always found the shop staff very friendly and helpful too.

Aston Bourne is a clothes store specialising in that rugged outdoor look that brings to mind images…read moreof Landrovers and hikers. There's a host of more conventional clothing as well, such as shirts and the like and the quality of products is pretty good. I was surprised to see clothing that seemed (on first glance) to be designed for Prince Charles that actually looked trendy. The small store packs plenty in too, so you don't just end up looking at one trendy cap, but a plethora of different styles and designs. The major stumbling block for me however, was the price... While I can imagine spending a lot of money on a really good Jacket, I'm not sure I'd spend 200 or so £££ on one. But if you're looking for something thats going to last you a long time and look cool while its doing it, its certainly worth casting your eye across their website, and maybe popping even into the store to have a look in person.

Aston Bourne couldn't fulfill an online order and it took me THREE emails and TWO phone calls to…read morethem over 11 days to find out the item was not even in stock, though was at time of purchase and now also discontinued too, spoiling my chance of purchasing elsewhere at a competitive price, had I known sooner. Not a very satisfactory online shopping experience for me and most likely wont use them again, largely due to the lackadaisical communication. I think I would still be waiting to hear something had I not contacted them .