Remember the fairy tale of The Elves and the Shoemaker? Well, when I walked in here, I was almost…read morecertain that this was the Shoemaker. The shop is a tiny little shop, with leather in a pile, a heavy duty sewing machine, and many finished shoes in racks. All the shoes are handmade, and he has been making these for 20 years. What an amazing skill, and I am so happy that this shop is still around. It's a great shop to get sandals, slippers, and doc martenesque shoes where you get to meet the man who makes them! He does repairs too, so bring on down your old shoes and him and his elves will fix them up good. If you need a good boot, or some sandals for the summer, don't go to the high street; come here instead for something different!

If ever there was a shop that is as it was a hundred years ago, this is it. A prime example of a…read moretraditional skill taught, learnt and being used to earn a decent living. Phil Wilkins is said labourer and The Handmade Shoe Co is his business set up through the traditional working of leather. Having been in the game for some twenty seven years Phil has set up shop in central Bristol in his shop space / working space. Being something of a small time craftsman myself I have from time to time popped in to get information and advice. The shoes, bags, belts and leather accessories are all made on site and of good quality. The shoe designs are unique and can be made to measure even the tiniest of paws and the biggest of loafers. This is also a good place to bring any leather goods that need repairing. A good place indeed to see people, not machines, hard at work doing what they love.

A friend of mine once told me that the reason that girls love handbags and shoes so much is because…read moreit doesn't matter how much weight they lose or put on - their accessories will always look good. For some reason this made the ultimate fashion sense to me, and have even since resigned myself to only buying the best shoes my budget will allow. Sadly, this applies to Kurt Geiger and his work-of-art designs. Some people don't understand the joy of window shopping. Maybe they think it's pointless or redundant but I absolutely love it and Kurt Geiger is my window shopping Mecca. I've only tried on a few pairs of shoes here as the shop assistants seem very in tune to us lookers-not-buyers and have perfected their icy stares, but I long for the day when my lifestyle allows for me to buy a pair of these shoes.

If you like your shoes to be more a piece of art than something to stop your feet getting dirty…read morethen Mr Geiger will do it for you. Although it looks from the window display that if you have trouble on anything over three inches then you're going to seriously embarrass yourself just trying the shoes on then rest assured that there are flat shoes and boots in here as well. It's just that heels look so... rowr. Of course you have to pay for the real killer heels and this is the top end of the high street market, with shoes coming in at £100 a pop minimum. You may get a pair from New Look for £15 but if you go and try a pair of these on you will see its not just the glitter and glam the money goes on, it is the design of the shoe from the sole up. They also stock Nicole Farhi, Carvela and Solea. Thankfully they do knock off almost 50% in sales so that is the time to go here. I think they should run classes on how to walk in heels though - nothing so ugly as a pretty girl clomping in pretty shoes. Find this shop on the top floor of the Mall, at the John Lewis end.

Afraid to say that i am not a fan of clarks shoes, i have from time to time popped in to see if…read morethey have a nice decent pair of shoes but walk out empty handed. I find their styles to be a bit dull and not at all original! The one good thing about the stores is that i always come across a lovely salesperson who makes the trip going in there worth it. We usually have a lovely conversation and they make me feel welcome.

Dont really like the shoes in here as they always look like their for old men! But kids shoes are…read morealways at a good price and i think the staff make you feel welcome. But i really like the way each shoe is on show, so you know what your buying.

You shouldn't allow a shop like Dune near women - they are drawn to it like bees to honey - or at…read moreleast my partner is! The shoes are on display in the window here and they do look very visually appealing. They do a great selection of styles and colours, though not for the shrinking violets - these are shoes to make a statement. Most of them appear to have killer heels though I also think that they do sell some flat shoes and they do quite a large selection of boots in the winter. The quality of the leather is really good and for that alone I don't think that they are over priced.

Friendly, helpful and exactly what I was after! Memory foam boots and a boot load of good memory's,…read morethanks K

I like the fact that this business is family run. It means you get a much more personal service…read morewhen you visit and I find that they are so helpful (I was a little overwhelmed with shoes when I visited!). Apparently they have been around (in the same shop!!) for 100 years so they clearly know what they are talking about. Prices are a little high. Expect to pay over £100 for a pair of non-sale items. However they do have sales here and there where they knock off a good £40 on some products. Their website isn't going to win any awards, but worth a look before you visit.

Office makes me drool just thinking about it. Who would have thought such a funky shoes shop would…read morehave such an incredibly dull name. Oh well. I've been a fan for a while now (since I first stepped foot in the London branch in fact) so excuse me if I go off into Carrie Bradshaw mode... They do beautiful, retro-chic trainers and deliciously high heels. Right now there's shiny leather boots and cute pumps jostling for space on the shelves. A word of warning - leave your credit cards at home - you could spend a fortune on canvas and leather right here. I keep expecting the shop to move into Cabot's Circus, but so far it's remained separate. Watch this space though. A downside is that the sales staff are on the snooty/cool-as-a-cucumber side, but always happy to get you the correct size (and take your dosh!)

While some sports shops concentrate on providing sporting goods, and others try and keep a balance…read morebetween that and fashion, Office concentrates solely on the aesthetically pleasing side of the trainer world (with added shoes thrown in). The likes of Adidas, Nike, Etnies, Converse and New Balance are to the fore here. This has to be Bristol's best trainer shop, with shoes of all sizes and colours (many too fashionable for the likes of you or I to attempt to don), a proportion of which are exclusive to Office. They also seem to have a permanent sale on, which is worth checking out.