If you seeking elegant but traditional shoes for special occasions such as a weddings, or need…read moreappropriate footwear if your profession has a formal dress code then Arabesque is worth a visit. They stock Italian and Spanish designer shoes that are smart but comfortable classics, beautifully made from leather and suede that will lift your stature with out being excruciatingly high or ultra trendy. The target here is really for the well heeled older woman, but on the other hand I have noticed there are good sales on here so the prices are by no means out of sight. So I should confess my eye is on some rather nice wedge heel black suede numbers. There is also a selection of classic handbags to marry with the shoes. It's very old school in here, with a charming, gentlemanly proprietor in charge. As a small shop, the service is attentive so is best for those who are genuinely interested in the stock rather than casual browsers.

I find it a little bit strange that a ton centre like Downpatrick can support about 3 different…read moreshoe shops all in a row, but as long as they are up and running well beside each other that's all that matters! This place aims at the higher quality market who want shoes of a durable Clarks style standard. I used to get dragged her to get new school shoes every year or two and I hated it, but I really should have appreciated the Kickers shoes I got here more before I proceeded to annually wreck them paying football etc . The staff are helpful and attentive and are only too happy to suggest options that you would like and try and ensure that the shoes will fit you properly. This store has a fairly limited selection of shoes though all in all, so you will have to chance your arm here or head elsewhere!

Now, this place may not win any awards for being cool and I used to curse my mother for buying me…read moreshoes from here when I was a young boy but now I'm older and buying my own shoes I can see why she brought me here year after year to get my school shoes. The prices aren't low but they're really, really good for the quality of shoe that you get and a pair of Clarks will last you ages. There is also that cool machine that works out your shoe-size which always used to amaze me when I was younger. The staff are knowledgable and friendly, not being too pushy with the optional extras like polishes and leather protector etc.

I usually don't like going to this Clarks Shoe shop as their kids department is upstairs and not…read moreoverly convenient for prams. I was passing today but and needed to get new shoes for my youngest so I thought I would nip in. As I said kids department is upstairs so I parked the pram in the designated area for prams and brought my wee one upstairs. There was no one else there, bonus I picked a good time to go, I noticed on my way in through the doors a ticket system so it must get very busy at times and to stop arguments between mothers they have thought of this. Shop is very well laid out in age categories and types of shoes. Lovely and bright too for kids. Assistant came straight over and measured my daughters feet and then went into the store and got all the available stock in her size, three pairs to choose between. Assistants are very knowledgeable in fitting for kids. Needless to say we came home with new shoes.

An old fashioned, traditional style shoe shop. To be honest it's not really to my taste but others…read moremay like Gaffney's. I find it a tad expensive and behind the times. Plus I never feel I can browse this shop comfortably as sales staff always seem to hover over my shoulder in a rather irritating manner. Maybe they are trying to be helpful, jump on a sales opportunity or think I'm going to steal and run off with the one shoe out of a pair on display hahahahaha! I actually dislike going into this shop. Dowdy, dated and out-of-style, I'll definitely be buying my footwear elsewhere...

don't shop here. used to work here. the owner is awful to both staff and customers, marks up his…read moreprices like CRAZY (selling boots worth £20 at £100), doesn't listen to any kind of sound business advice and then wonders why his business is failing. he sacked one of my coworkers mid-shift and made her continue her shift, he made me (his manager at the time) come in and rearrange his ENTIRE store for him (took me almost 3 whole days to complete) only to sack me once I finished all the hard work for him or in his words "I'll call you when I have hours for you". he tells customers they are wrong if they say a shoe doesn't fit them or feel comfortable and makes them out to be liars if a pair of shoes they bought happened to be faulty. his store also does not adhere to legal requirements such as having smoke alarms, fire extinguishers or being wheelchair accessible and when I brought these things up to him he laughed, particularly about being wheelchair accessible. don't give this man your money he's an awful excuse for a human.

Jacksons 38 is one of five (yes, you heard right) departments, if you like, all owned by Jacksons…read moreof Saintfield. Not a clue who this guy is, but he essentially owns half of the Main Street... As well as the main hardware / cookware store a few doors up, there is also a 'Lifestyle' stores few doors on up from that, which consists of a health food shop, a coffee shop and a home interiors shop. Phew! However, my trip was only to this sweet little boutique. Mainly consisting of ladies, gents and kids shoes, it is also a jewellery shop, an accessories shop (wallets, belts, scarves etc.), and a ladies clothes shop. Blinkin' heck. It's one of those shops that's a myriad of little rooms and sections that see to go on forever. There really is a beautiful selection, and the range of kid's school shoes rivals an actual shoe shop's range. The lady sales assistant was very pleasant and welcoming - cheery smiles galore. She was helpfully aiding a customer who was trying on shoes, but didn't neglect the others who were busy looking too. I must commend this Jackson fella on such a beautiful little shop. Highly recommended.

Conservatory Coffee, health food, boutiqueness…read moreHaiku perfection Visited here on a priest's recommendation to sip coffee with Michael W. Smith in the background and hoping to catch a nice Irish evangelical's eye... But even without those expectations being met (there's always next time), I think I've found my new favorite coffee shop in County Down. As you walk into Jackson's there is the boutique on the right, health food on the left, and straight to the back, nectar of the gods: COFFEE. Even further back, comfy couches and tables fill a beautiful, bright, glass conservatory facing out into the courtyard. Me and a friend sat until close (4:30 p.m.) sipping our coffee and admiring others fancy beverages and jealousy inducing desserts. While I have yet to witness it, I was told that the scones are as big as your head and full of fruity surprises. I couldn't ask for a better setting or cup of coffee to sip, sit, people watch, and/or work.

I la la la laaaave this gorgeous, enchanting little gift shop. It leaves you bedazzled and…read moreenthralled, and wishing you had a slightly bigger limit on your credit card (seriously, £300 is *nothing*...). The Lavender Box combines beautiful jewellery (the likes of Pom, Coeur de Lion, Pilgrim), with stunning gifts (I spotted the cutest wooden Noah's Ark, and the animals all had their own places), and exquisite clothing / shoes. It truly has it all. The front section of the shop is home to the gifts, filled with fancy knick-knacks such as candles, ornaments, figurines, stationery etc., as well as the jewellery. Cabinet after cabinet bursting with the most dazzling jewellery (there was 20% off some items the day we were in, but I managed to behave myself). The back section of the shop is home to a beautiful range of very unique clothes. Not really my style, but very classy and elegant, with a bit of a retro feel to them. Alongside these lie a good range of Irregular Choice shoes, which, as most of you will know, are a gorgeously kitsch, and somewhat pricey shoe label (and to die for). Oooooh shoe lust... The owner / sales assistant was very friendly, though her attention was diverted to a customer who was trying on a pair of Irregular Choice boots, and couldn't make up her mind which colour to choose. Nevertheless, she spoke to us, and was very amiable, and I commended her for dealing with the Irregular Choice boot lady (jealous...), who obviously needed her help much more than I or my sister. La la la laaaave it even more now. Absence makes the heart grow fonder 'n' all that...

From the outside, Reid's looks dingy and tired, and in dire need of a face lift. When you step…read moreinside, there's a funny little tunnel, with displays of shoes on either side, and a set of stairs leading downwards. Interestingly, the shoe section is located in the basement of the shop (hence the topsy-turvyness), which is really rather...random. And messed with my head a little bit. So, down the steps we went, and into a massive emporium of every kind of shoe possible. With an ongoing sale, the place was slightly disorientated, although there were evidently three separate sections - kids, womens and mens. The kids section was absolutely jam packed full of little 'uns sitting in line with their ticket, waiting (im)patiently to be measured. The colourful seats and measuring thingamajigs reminded me of the trips to Irvine's on the Newtownard's Road to get my school shoes. Fond memories...and not a lot has changed, so it would seem. The ladies section was full of trainers, granny shoes, flats, sandals, heels and more granny shoes. Some of the shoes were decent enough, but most were just too old fashioned or downright horrible. I was the youngest female customer in this area by far...the average age was probably 70 odd. I didn't venture into the men's section, because, well, I'm not a man. The one thing that did rather annoy me was the lack of customer service. The staff were as dure as the shop, and were mainly twiddling their thumbs and standing doing not an awful lot. No-one came anywhere near me the entire thirty minutes I was there. How rude. Since Reid's really isn't my kind of shoe shop (which isn't in reference to the service), I most likely won't return. However, due to the wide variety of shoes, I'll give them two stars. Since I'm nice like that.

If I were an eight year old looking for a pair of black school gutties I might convince my mum to…read moretake me in here. If I were an 80 year old looking for a nice pair of pink slippers with yellow flowers on and a nice sturdy heel I might call in here. If I were 6 and I fancied a pair of pink round toe fairy shoes I might call in here. If I were 60 and i needed a good solid shoe to wear about the shops and the house then I might cal in here. Don't expect anything that is expensive or of any great standard. Expect shoes that are either very old fashioned, never in fashion, for children or wellies and that's it. Not my kind of place but if you need a cheap shoe with no glitz or glamour who might find it here.

The only place I was able to find wide opening velcro slippers to fit over my mum's heavily…read morebandaged foot! The assisstant was really helpful, and suggested I took several pairs 'on approval' for her to try, then brought back those that didn't suit, and paid for the pair that fitted.