Ended up stopping for a coffee instead and had a genuinely pleasant chat with Douie, which made the…read morevisit worthwhile.

Meeks is a good old fashioned shoe shop, that I would only ever go to in search of kids shoes for…read moreschool, and yet given the choice, I also wouldn't go anywhere else! The staff are friendly, helpful and knowledgeable, and all have the essential ability to get on with kids and get them to co-operate in the shoe-fitting process, something that I would guarantee requires saint-like patience! The last time I took my child there, they managed to kick the assistant in the head (accidentally, I might add!), and this still didn't detract from the quality of service and the willingness of the assistant to help. They even offered us the opportunity to take some shoes on 'sale or return', something which we gladly took them up on (as long as the shoes weren't worn outside) and in this case it actually resulted in us returning the shoes for a full refund. I would heartily recommend Meeks and its happy group of staff for the quality of their service and the quality of their goods. Top marks!

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!

Shout is a little boutique which is situated within the town centre of Altrincham. It's an…read moreinexpensive shop which caters to the trendy female market, and stocks a good range of clothes, shoes and accessories. The shops is neat and tidy with some good eye-catching displays, and there's usually a bargain to be found in the sale areas.

Daniel Footwear is a great shoe shop if you have a credit card or a disposable income. There really…read moreare some amazing shoes and boots in here though, to drool over. Pretty much every up market brand is represented from DKNY, Diesel, Missoni, D&G, UGG Armani and Chloe to name a very few. Although most of the shoes are above my price range, there are a few great brands here starting at £50, so not all is lost. They often have great sales too, but you have to be quick!

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.