Shoes, shoes, shoes. While my passion for shoes includes Manolos and Louboutins, my budget does not…read moreand most likely never will extend that far. The next best thing for me and lowering my sights ever so slightly and its Va Bene shoes on King William Road at Hyde Park. My local and often visited coffee shop is on the opposite corner and has a view of the Va Bene side window. This can be pretty dangerous for a shoe fiend as sipping a latte can often lead to going home with a new pair of shoes. Not so good when the cupboard is already full to brimming with hardly worn pairs. What can I say other than they simply have a great collection of shoes that tempt me time after time. If they don't have your size, they will do their best to get the right size in for you as they did for me recently when a brand new pair came from the distributor. The staff are very helpful and there's always a bargain or two to be had as they regularly markdown their full price stock. Their product is top quality as demonstrated by a pair of black boots purchased two years ago that will stump up for another season again next winter. Sorry fellas but this is a ladies shoe shop, which prompts one to ask - what is it with girls and shoes? Obviously a rhetorical question because even though I'm a girl and a shoe freak I don't know the answer to that one. Seriously, does anyone? Carrie Bradshaw and Imelda Marcos take note.

Florsheim is an American shoe brand, originating from Chicago. Originally it was a men's shoes…read morestore but in the last 10 years it has branched out to women's as well. They are a highly regarded brand when it comes to comfort and quality - but I wouldn't necessarily call them the nicest shoes I've ever seen. I would probably recommend them to men, as their shoes looked pretty nice, and looked very comfortable. The store down Unley Road is a factory outlet, and therefore they have a lot of their stock on special for around half price, generally the older stock. So if you're looking for a pair of good quality shoes and don't want to pay full price, then come and have a look see whilst you're shopping down Unley Road.

Men. Shoe shopping. It's hard. I know. I have three pairs of shoes (which, for your typical chap is…read moresomething of an excess). I have formal shoes, exercising shoes and casual shoes. If I wanted to cut down, I could probably use my casual shoes and nothing else. But women! Three thousand shoes. It's an old joke, sure, but it's one I can't get over. They only wear shoes for other women to see too. At least, they must, because I never look at a lady's shoes. Anyway, the first thing you'll notice when you enter this store is the layout. There are plenty of places to sit and wait for your love to deck her feet. Furthermore, there's a full-length mirror for you to amuse yourself by pulling funny faces. Shoppers will enjoy the full-length mirror too, as those feet-view mirrors don't quite show off how much sexier you look in that new pair of stilettos. The staff is helpful and will assault you the moment you pass through the door, but leave you alone the instant you mutter the token phrase, 'I'm just browsing', and return as soon as you appear to require the afore-offered aid. Finally, the prices are reasonable considering the quality and designer brands. That's right, ladies: designer brands! I can hardly contain my excitement.

When walking past Lana Lang Shoes, from the outside it looks unassuming…read more Take a closer look inside though, and you will find that Lana Langs has a range of fashionable and affordable shoes. They have two stores in the Adelaide CBD: one is "The Boutique" situated in the Central Markets, the other is "The Showroom" situated on Gouger St. They seem to be doing well judging from the amount of people that were trying on shoes - young and old, I might add. "The Showroom" store is where you will find more fashionable designer styles, while "The Boutique" store is where they specialise in comfort and work shoes with brands like Birkenstock. Here, they also do more specials, and stock more leisure and casual shoes, plus outdoor hiking shoes and boots. I bought my work shoes here a year ago. They have lasted me all this time while maintaining comfort and minimizing tired feet after an 8 hour shift at the cafe where I work. With their wide range and friendly, knowledgeable service, Lana Lang is a trustworthy place to shop. Oh, and they also do repairs and alterations for affordable prices.

This shop rocks in so many ways and I suspect many would shop here for their prom night, 21st…read morebirthday, cocktail parties and just flirty summer parties in the park. My first instinct was it catered for those in the ever so petite size but was happy to find some pieces ranging till size 14, which will appeal to everyone. The store had a 50%-70% sale during my visit, so I happily picked up a summer dress for a bargain. YAY for me! I spotted a tutu skirt (hello Lady Gaga!), funky t-shirts, silk blouses and gorgeous summer dresses to sample this summer. At the adjoining store lies Night Child, with racks of golden and silver embellished cocktail dresses and gowns, truly a girl's oasis. It's a perfect shop to make every girl look and feel beautiful!

Do you like young, funky, cutting edge fashion? If so you can't go past Wild Child Stylelab on King…read moreWilliam Road at Hyde Park. The store itself is possibly one of Hyde Park's most significant style icons and has been in its famed corner position since 1991. Wild Child is full to brimming with the most up to date and latest fashion items. Brands you'll find at there include Bettina Liano, Cooper St, Diesel, Anouk, Ladakh and Wheels and Dollbaby. While much of their range looks best on 16 year olds with zero percent body fat, many of their pieces can still look good on the rest of us mere mortals ie the older stylish woman. Just remember a mini skirt on a woman of a certain age can look downright tacky and there is such a thing as mutton dressed up as lamb. Does anyone remember the scene from Sex and the City II when Samantha turned up in the same dress as Miley Cyrus? The solution to this is to take advice from the stylists as Wild Child, they're generally pretty honest about what suits and what doesn't. Along with dresses, skirts, jeans, and tops you'll find shoes and accessories at Wild Child as well. If you stop by for a browse or a shop, remember to take your credit card and when you're done head for one of King William Road's famous cafes or eateries.

Back on the Rack is a small second hand clothes stores at the intersection of Unley Road and Arthur…read moreStreet. It only has a small selection, but this can often mean you don't have to sort through rack after rack of rubbish to find the good stuff. Items are arrange in size order on the round racks and by style on the walls. They often have a small selection of shoes and accessories and the sales assistant is always friendly and helpful. It's not so much cool vintage clothes as stuff that a friend might have bought, worn once or twice and passed on. In other words, instead of paying $150 for a pair of pants in Rundle Mall, you might find them here (admittedly from last season) for $30. I've often wondered how it has stayed in business for so long, but there are always a few women browsing the racks whenever I've visited. The hardest thing is parking. There isn't any street parks because of the intersection and the nearest car parks are over the road at the Unley Shopping Centre or at the back of Target. You have to really want to go there to walk a few blocks and cross two sets of traffic lights.

A second hand clothing store which has been in this location for many years. It predominantely…read moredeals in upper class, good quality clothes and there is also a small shoe section towards the back of the shop. I did purchase a beautiful suede jacket for $50 which I thought was reasnable and really their prices are good considering the quality and compared to what other stores charge. If you're not into 'vintage' then this is for you. It's also located on busy Unley Road and there's no parking directly out the front and with good reason too, but drive around the corner to Oxford Street and you'll find a park either on the road or round the back od the shops is a carpark free of charge.

100 metres from one Sydney Street store stands another Sydney Street. What is this, Starbucks?…read moreWasn't I just in a Sydney Street, or did I get the name wrong? After some head scratching and googling, I discover that this shop is the Sydney Street Boutique, as opposed to the Sydney Street Casual store. These are the only two stores in Australia, and you can see one from the other. This store has all the colour that the other lacks. No pastels here, there are lots of bold prints, floral patterns and sparkly tops. Most of the styles are still casual, but they're less that upper-class-retiree-golfer style and more the funky-mum look. The prices are much the same in both, and this shop doesn't do those famous jeans. There is plenty of more formal wear here also that I can see my mother wearing out to dinner. I do however appreciate the concept of two stores for two different styles and vibes. This store is smaller and more heavily stocked, while the other is spacious and less cluttered, arrangements which cleverly match the clothing styles.