This place was absolutely jam-packed when I visited it today. Shoes strewn everywhere, disinterested 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? read more