This is a specialist niche shop that caters for the needs of Sales dancing public, whether their…read morepreferred style is ballroom, jazz, modern or tap. Aided, no doubt, by Cadmans Dance centre directly above it, Salters is locally run and the sort of place where you're guaranteed friendly, personal service and competitive prices. I recently had cause to visit there in search of some specialist dance-sneakers that were needed for a friends daughter... I was confident that a local supplier would come-up-trumps compared to the bigger (if not better) firms in central Manchester. I was right! Not only did they stock the required article, but although they didn't have the right size in stock, they ordered some in, in a variety of likely sizes AND texted me when they came in to let me know. I call that personal service! Chances are I won't have cause to go there in the near future, but if I do, I will be there in a heartbeat!

I pity the staff that have to work at New Look. Opening the store at 8.30a.m. with a hangover is…read morebad enough but the lights are so bright in this place they should come with a migraine warning! To make matters worse, the majority of the stock lacks the style of other contemporary brands like H&M and Top Shop. The one saving grace is the men's Giles by Giles Deacon capsule range. Priced £15 to £30 and only available for a limited period, there's some fantastic military cardigans, graphic tees and skinny jeans.

If you're a serious runner, and getting splashed by water from cars driving through puddles as you…read morerun on dreary pavements, running up the side of a mountain, wearing short shorts, losing a toenail or two, being ridiculously fit and filling a camel pack with energy drinks and not beer are all your kind of thing, then you've probably already heard of Up and Running. Up and Running is tucked away at the top of the Triangle shopping centre, and it's a serious running shop for serious runners. They even have a couple of treadmills so that trying on some running shoes involves actually properly trying them out, rather than just doing that classic 'shoe shop walk' that we've all done in our time. What's more, you'll be trying on some running shoes that one of Up and Running's knowledgeable assistants have chosen specifically for you and your running style. Up and Running also sell reflective jackets, running watches and protein shakes, as well as lots of other running gizmos.

This is the best running shoe shop I've been to. They will find the perfect pair of running shoes…read morefor you, and they aren't even ridiculously expensive. As Sam says, they have treadmills for you to properly try the shoes, but this is not all they're for! You put a pair on and run for a few minutes on the treadmill, whilst they video your legs with a special camera. They use this footage to work out the angle at which your feet incline. This means that if your feet slope one way or the other, you can get a pair of running shoes to correct this. It means you wont be doing any harm to your ankles as you run. Absolutely unbelievable service. You may think you don't need this because you 'run normally' but you may well be surprised. If you're going to do any serious running then make sure you go here. Its invaluable not only to have a good pair of shoes, but to have the right ones for you.

LJ Shooz in Sale is pretty much as low-budget a shoe retailer as you'll find anywhere... Think…read morecheap, throwaway shoes of limited quality, maximum 'style' (if your style is VERY mainstream and tacky) and low quality and durability. It fills a niche I suppose for those looking for low budget fashion shoes, for a night out, or something in synthetic materials (highly coloured leather (or more likely plastic of some kind!), patent etc etc. You get my drift... It isn't a Schuh or an Office kind of place, but then sometimes you don't want those prices... just somewhere to get some fun shoes for a one off occasion and LJ Shooz would be the place to go.

This shop has been around in Chorlton for 13 years now, it sell some interesting and different…read morelabels, most from up and coming new designers and quirky European labels like labels like Ruutsoo. The shop sells clothes for both men and women with most of the pieces being a one off.... so if you like something well enough to pay the rather inflated price, the likely hood is that you will be the only person in Manchester wearing it! The shop is fairly small, but the wide range of stock is neatly placed on east access rails. The only downside is the staff sometimes seem to have been a little distracted when I popped in, I don't know if this is because I am not head-to-toe in designer gear, but I get the feeling it is!

Lovely fashion shop in Chorlton. Great range of small labels. They even sell clothes from the…read moreSwedish Bohemia label! I spent some hours there going through the pieces,nice collection of shoes as well.